Quenching of Einstein coefficients in plasmas

Yong Cong Chen, Joel L. Lebowitz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigate possible mechanisms for the recently observed selective quenching of spontaneous emission coefficients of carbon and nitrogen ions (C iv, C iii, and N v) in laser-produced plasmas. Various effects of the plasma electrons on the spontaneous emission of the ions are considered. We suggest (by exclusion) that the cause of the phenomenon is the weak trapping of plasma electrons by the radiating ions (producing C iii, C ii, and N iv ions in highly excited states). These highly excited electrons so strongly shift and change some low-frequency lines that they are not observed. The branching ratio of line intensities from the same upper level then becomes proportional to the fraction of ions not having any trapped electrons.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2127-2137
Number of pages11
JournalPhysical Review A
Volume41
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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