On the Conductance of the Gas Discharge Plasma at Space Anisotropic Excitation

Abstract

The galvanic manifestation of two transformations of degenerate magnetic states of the neon atom, namely self-alignment → non-alignment and alignment ↔ orientation is studied by monitoring the voltage across the discharge in a range of hollow cathode discharge (HCD) lamps. The application of a magnetic field to the discharge disorders the self-alignment. Alignment and orientation are optically induced and their effect on the discharge conductance is compared by measuring the optogalvanic signals. The degenerate states investigated are found to contribute to the gas discharge conductance in a manner which depends on their degree of coherence. Various hollow cathode discharge media are studied including Ne/As, Ne/Cu, Ne/Ni, Ne/Cd, Ne/Li and Ne/Ca in the corresponding trademarked HCD spectral lamps.