6P13−6P03Excitation Transfer in Mercury, Induced in Collisions withN2Molecules

Abstract

The cross section for the transition $6{}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_0^{}{}_{}{}^{}\to 6{}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ in mercury, induced in collisions with ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ molecules, has been determined by the method of delayed coincidences. The Hg ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ state was excited by pulses of 2537-Å Hg resonance radiation and the decay of the long-lived 2537-Å afterglow was studied in relation to ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ pressure. The resulting cross section $Q_{12}({}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_0^{}{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{})=4.18\mathrm{}\times {10}^{-4\mathrm{}}$ ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$ was found to be good agreement with the prediction of the principle of detailed balancing when compared with the cross section $Q_{21}({}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{}\to {}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_0^{}{}_{}{}^{})$. It was also found that, within the sensitivity of the method, collisions with ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ molecules do not quench ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_1^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ or ${}_{}{}^3{}_{}{}^{}P_0^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ Hg atoms to the ground state.