A theoretical and experimental study of a Penning recombination laser operating in a hollow cathode discharge

Abstract

A theoretical and experimental study of a Penning recombination laser operating in the negative glow plasma of a pulsed high-voltage hollow cathode discharge at intermediate pressures is presented. A detailed kinetic model of the plasma - chemical reactions and radiative processes determining the inversion population on the transition is developed and the time-dependent behaviour of both the plasma and laser parameters (excited states populations, electron and ion densities, electron and gas temperatures, output power and gain) is numerically calculated. An extended experimental investigation of the main plasma and laser parameters is made and a comparison with theoretical results is presented.

Lyman-alpha emission via resonant energy transfer

“…Other possible contributions to the hydrogen n = 2 population density, such as via ionization of H 2 molecules by neon metastables (in the 3s level) into H + 2 and successive dissociative recombination, leading to a population of H(2p) atoms, might also be considered [19,23]. Petrov [12], in fact lists 65 processes possible in a neon-hydrogen discharge system, but does not include the mechanism described here.…”

“…At the low pressure and high current densities used in those experiments, however, the excitation mechanism suggested is via the Ne * metastables, ionizing the H 2 molecules to H + 2 with subsequent dissociative recombination and not via excimer molecule formation. High-current pulsed-discharge recombination lasers have also been studied in neon-hydrogen mixtures [12].…”