Quenching of Radiation from Ionized Gases by Infrared Photons

Abstract

Visible afterglow radiations from low‐pressure weakly ionized inert gases are partially quenched during irradiation of the gases by the infrared produced with CO₂ lasers (photon energies ∼ 0.1 eV). The most plausible interpretation of the effect appears to involve photoionization or photoexcitation of neutral atoms in excited states populated during the process of recombination.