Simultaneous determination of the temperature and density of rubidium vapor

We propose a new method for the simultaneous determination of the temperature and atom number density in rubidium vapor. The method is based on the comparison of theoretical simulations of the self-broadened absorption profiles of rubidium resonance lines with the measured profiles. Absorption measurements performed in rubidium vapor indicate that in the spectral region around resonance lines (760-835 nm), excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental absorption profiles can be achieved. In the temperature interval 500-700 K, the simultaneous determination of the atom number density and temperature of rubidium vapor is possible. We have applied the present method to nearly homogeneous and inhomogeneous rubidium vapors generated in a sapphire cell.