PRESSURE-DEPENDENT DECAY OF THE 2P(5)-3P CONFIGURATION IN NEON EXCITED BY ALPHA-PARTICLES

The pressure dependence of the decay of the Ne(2p(5)3p) states excited by an energetic pulsed a-particle beam is studied in the pressure range 70-1500 mbar. The 2p(5)3p states are populated either promptly, within a few ns, or by subsequent collisional transfer within the 2p(5)3p states. The decay rates of all the 2p(5)3p states above 300 mbar are linear with the pressure and unaffected by trapping from the 2p(5)3s states as these are depopulated by excimer formation. Below 300 mbar the decay rates are reduced by trapping. No quadratic pressure dependence due to excimer formation is found; the upper limit for the formation rate is estimated as <6 x 10(-7) (ns mbar2)-1 . Estimated values for the rates of collisional transfer within and out of the 2p(5)3p configuration are given.