EXCITED STATES ENERGY TRANSFER IN SODIUM AND POTASSIUM

Collisional energy transfer between atoms and molecules proved to be an efficient method for excitation of new laser lines and spectroscopy of states forbidden for direct excitation or emission by parity conservation [1]. We have studied a number of stimulated emissions in the near IR 800 - 850nm in Na atom via Na2X—A transitions. Two tunable dye lasers have been employed, the first one scanning the X—A molecular transition and the second one tuned to Na 3p-4d single photon resonance, Fig.1. Taking the collision rate coefficient for the reaction