Electron-impact excitation of the (4p55s5p)4S3/2 quasimetastable state in Rb

Abstract

Synopsis The ejected-electron excitation function of the (4p55s5p)4S3/2 quasimetastable state in rubidium was experimentally investigated by electron-impact in the energy range from the excitation threshold at 16.64 eV to 100 eV. The obtained data at 0.12 eV energy resolution indicate the presence of negative-ion resonances just above excitation threshold. A comparison is made with the optical excitation function of the (4p55s5p)4S3/2 → (4p65p)2P3/2 transition (λ = 82.37 nm), measured earlier with a lower energy resolution of ≈ 1.5 eV.