The determination of cross sections for the quenching of resonance radiation of metal atoms II. Results for potassium, rubidium and caesium

Abstract

The flame fluorescence technique has been used to study the fluorescence of the metals potassium, rubidium and caesium. Measurements of the intensity of fluorescence of each of these metals in isothermal groups of hydrogen-oxygen flames diluted with each of the gases argon, helium, nitrogen and carbon dioxide have given the following values (Å 2 ) for the square of the distance between the centres of colliding species, σ 2 : for potassium: σ 2 H 2 = 1.03 ± 0.05 σ 2 H 2 O = 0.9 ± 0.3 σ 2 Ar < 0.2 σ 2 He < 0.08 σ 2 N 2 = 5.6 ± 0.3 σ 2 CO = 12.4 ± 0.8 σ 2 CO 2 = 21.4 ± 1.0 σ 2 O 2 = 15.5 ± 1.5 for rubidium: σ 2 H 2 = 0.61 ± 0.1 σ 2 H 2 O = 1.27 ± 0.15 σ 2 Ar < 0.3 σ 2 He < 0.11 σ 2 N 2 = 6.1 ± 0.6 σ 2 CO = 11.8 ± 2.0 σ 2 CO 2 = 24 ± 2 σ 2 O 2 = 25 ± 5 for caesium: σ 2 H 2 = 1.7 ± 0.3 σ 2 H 2 O = 5.5 ± 1.6 σ 2 Ar < 0.9 σ 2 He < 0.4 σ 2 N 2 = 25 ± 6