Diffusion and depopulation of the metastable Cd³P_0,2states in collisions with Ne and Cd atoms

Abstract

The temperature dependences of the diffusion coefficients of metastable Cd(5 3 P 2,0 ) atoms in Ne are determined using the afterglow technique. In the temperature range 515-568 K they are D( 3 P 0 ) = (2.2±0.7)×(T /780) 1.75 cm 2 s −1 and D( 3 P 2 ) = (2.1±0.6)×(T /780) 1.75 cm 2 s −1 at 1 atm Ne pressure. The coefficients of the excitation transfer in the fine structure of a Cd triplet by collisions with a ground state's Ne and Cd atoms are also determined. In the same temperature range the averaged rate coefficients for the processes Cd(5 3 P 2 )+Ne( 1 S 0 ) → Cd(5 3 P 1,0 )+Ne( 1 S 0 ) and Cd(5 3 P 0 ) + Ne( 1 S 0 ) → Cd(5 3 P 1 ) + Ne( 1 S 0 ) are K 2 = (4.3 ± 1.3) × 10 14 cm 3 s −1 and K 01 = (3.2 ± 1.0) × 10 −14 cm 2 respectively, while the rate coefficients of the reactions