Theoretical and experimental study of some basic processes in He-TlI and Ne-TlI plasma - asymmetric charge transfer, penning ionization and diffusion

Abstract

The diffusion coefficients of thallium and iodine atoms in a binary system with helium and neon are calculated on the basis of 12-6 Lenard-Jones and rigid sphere models. Cross-sections and rate constants for thermal energy charge transfer into some Tl+ and I+ excited states are theoretically and experimentally obtained for a gas discharge in He-TlI and Ne-TlI mixtures. Cross-sections and rate constants for Penning ionization into Tl+ and I+ ground and excited states are calculated for Penning collisions with the He and Ne metastable atoms. Since the characteristic constants studied depend on the gas temperature, the radial gas temperature distribution is also calculated through solving the heat conduction equation.