Randell L Mills et al 2003 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 1504 doi:10.1088/0022-3727/36/13/312
Randell L Mills1, Paresh C Ray and Robert M Mayo
Show affiliationsA new chemically generated plasma source is reported. The presence of gaseous Rb+ or K+ ions with thermally dissociated hydrogen formed a low applied temperature, extremely low voltage plasma called a resonant transfer or rt-plasma having strong vacuum ultraviolet emission. We propose an energetic catalytic reaction involving a resonant energy transfer between hydrogen atoms and Rb+ or 2K+ since Rb+ to Rb2+, 2K+ to K + K2+, and K to K3+ each provide a reaction with a net enthalpy equal to the potential energy of atomic hydrogen. Remarkably, a stationary inverted Lyman population was observed; thus, these catalytic reactions may pump a cw HI laser as predicted by a collisional radiative model used to determine that the observed overpopulation was above threshold.
52.25.Os Emission, absorption, and scattering of electromagnetic radiation
52.38.-r Laser-plasma interactions
51.30.+i Thermodynamic properties, equations of state
82.33.Xj Plasma reactions (including flowing afterglow and electric discharges)
Issue 13 (7 July 2003)
Received 7 October 2002, in final form 24 April 2003
Published 18 June 2003
Randell L Mills et al 2003 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 1504
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