Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Short-Pulse Laser-Induced Stabilization Of Autoionizing States, Heider N. Ereifej, J. Greg Story

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atoms in doubly excited states above the first ionization limit can decay via autoionization in which an electron is emitted leaving an ion, or by photoemission which leaves the atom in a singly excited state. In this paper, it is demonstrated that interaction between the atoms and a laser pulse that is short compared to the autoionization lifetime can lead to large enhancement of the photoemission process by stimulating the atoms to emit a photon. Since the resultant singly excited atoms do not autoionize, this process can be viewed as an enhancement of the stabilization of the doubly excited atoms …

Direct Measurement Of Oscillations Between Degenerate Two-Electron Bound-State Configurations In A Rapidly Autoionizing System, Heider N. Ereifej, J. Greg Story

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper we report a direct observation of the oscillation between bound-state configurations in a rapidly autoionizing system. Calcium atoms were excited to a pure 4p_3/2nd two-electron configuration using a 500-fsec laser pulse. The initial 4p_3/2nd doubly excited state is energy degenerate with the 4p_1/2n'd states and several continuum channels. Because of the short-pulse excitation, the initial state of the atom is not an energy eigenstate, but a nonstationary wave packet. As a result, oscillations between the two bound configurations were produced. These oscillations were measured by scanning the timing of a second …

Mirroring And Mimicking Of Partial Cross Sections In The Vicinity Of A Resonance, Chien-Nan Liu, Anthony F. Starace

Anthony F. Starace Publications

We review recent analytical work on mirroring and mimicking behavior of resonance profiles in different partial cross sections. This work is related to the work of Fano and Cooper on resonance profiles in total cross sections and that of Starace on resonance profiles in partial cross sections. Applications of the new theories (describing mirroring and mimicking behavior) to recent experimental measurements and theoretical predictions for photoionization, photodetachment, and Auger spectroscopy in the vicinity of resonance structures are discussed.

Creation Of An Ultracold Neutral Plasma, Scott D. Bergeson, T. C. Killian, S. Kulin, L. A. Orozco, C. Orzel, S. L. Rolston

Faculty Publications

We report the creation of an ultracold neutral plasma by photoionization of laser-cooled xenon atoms. The charge carrier density is as high as 2×10^9 cm^-3, and the temperatures of electrons and ions are as low as 100 mK and 10 uK, respectively. Plasma behavior is evident in the trapping of electrons by the positive ion cloud when the Debye screening length becomes smaller than the size of the sample. We produce plasmas with parameters such that both electrons and ions are strongly coupled.

Photofragmentation Of Third-Row Hydrides Following Photoexcitation At Deep-Core Levels, D. L. Hansen, M. E. Arrasate, J. Cotter, G. R. Fisher, Oliver Hemmers, K. T. Leung, Jon C. Levin, R. Martin, Paul Neill, Rupert C. Perera, I. A. Sellin, Marc Simon, Y. Uehara, B. Vanderford, S. B. Whitfield, Dennis W. Lindle

X-Ray Atomic and Molecular Science Program

The relaxation dynamics of HCl, DCl, H₂S, and D₂S following photoexcitation in the vicinities of the Cl and S K-shell thresholds (~2.8 keV for Cl, ~2.5 keV for S) were studied by means of ion time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. In all cases, the onset of pre-edge core-shell photoionization precedes the formation on resonance of a significant amount of neutral hydrogen as well as postcollision-interaction effects above threshold. Examination of the width of the H⁺ peak in spectra taken with the analyzer parallel and perpendicular to the polarization vector of the incident light indicates that on resonance, …

Neutral Dissociation Of Hydrogen Following Photoexcitation Of Hcl At The Chlorine K Edge, D. L. Hansen, J. Cotter, G. R. Fisher, K. T. Leung, R. Martin, Paul Neill, Rupert C. Perera, I. A. Sellin, Marc Simon, Y. Uehara, B. Vanderford, S. B. Whitfield

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Research

Time-of-flight mass spectroscopy was used to study the relaxation dynamics of HCl following photoexcitation in the vicinity of the Cl K edge (~2.8 keV) using monochromatic synchrotron radiation. At the lowest resonant excitation to the 6ơ* antibonding orbital, almost half of the excited molecules decay by emission of a neutral H atom, mostly in coincidence with a highly charged Cln1 ion. The present work demonstrates that neutral-atom emission can be a significant decay channel for excited states with very short lifetimes (1 fs). [S1050-2947(98)03604-X]

Ionization Of Rydberg Wave Packets By Subpicosecond, Half-Cycle Electromagnetic Pulses, C. Raman, C. W. S. Conover, C. I. Sukenik, P. H. Bucksbaum

Physics Faculty Publications

We have studied the ionization of Rydberg wave packets by subpicosecond, nearly unipolar electromagnetic field pulses, in the regime where the duration of the electric field is less than the classical Kepler orbit time 2n3 for the wave packet. In contrast to the subpicosecond optical pulses, subpicosecond field pulses can ionize wave packets when the probability density near the inner turning point of the Kepler orbit is low. The transfer of energy from the electromagnetic field to essentially free electrons demonstrates that the pulses are substantially shorter than one field cycle. Such half-cycle pulses can track the wave packet throughout …

Optically Thin Broad-Line Clouds In Active Galactic Nuclei, Joseph C. Shields, Gary J. Ferland, Bradley M. Peterson

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The broad-line region (BLR) in Seyfert galaxy nuclei exhibits correlated variations in continuum and emission-line luminosity that are qualitatively consistent with photoionization of ionization-bounded (optically thick) clouds. However, evidence is growing that a nonnegligible fraction of the BLR cloud population is optically thin to the Lyman continuum and fully ionized in hydrogen. We consider the implications of this nebular component for observed line emission and find that inclusion of thin clouds in photoionization calculations can resolve several outstanding puzzles of Seyfert variability, notably the behavior of the C IV λ1549/Lyα ratio as a function of continuum luminosity.

A …

The Origin Of N Iii Λ990 And C Iii Λ977 Emission In Agn Narrow-Line Region Gas, Jason W. Ferguson, Gary J. Ferland, A. K. Pradham

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss implications of Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) detections of C III λ977 and N III λ990 emission from the narrow-line region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. In their discovery paper Kriss et al. showed that the unexpectedly great strength of these lines implies that the emitting gas must be shock-heated if the lines are collisionally excited. Here we investigate other processes which excite these lines in photoionization equilibrium. Recombination, mainly dielectronic, and continuum fluorescence are strong contributors to the line. The resulting intensities are sensitive to the velocity field of the emitting gas and require …

Tabletop X-Ray Lasers, D. C. Eder, P. Amendt, L. B. Dasilva, R. A. London, B. J. Macgowan, D. L. Matthews, B. M. Penetrante, M. D. Rosen, S. C. Silks, Thomas D. Donnelly, R. W. Falcone, G. L. Strobel

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Details of schemes for two tabletop size x‐ray lasers that require a high‐intensity short‐pulse driving laser are discussed. The first is based on rapid recombination following optical‐field ionization. Analytical and numerical calculations of the output properties are presented. Propagation in the confocal geometry is discussed and a solution for x‐ray lasing in Li‐like N at 247 Å is described. Since the calculated gain coefficient depends strongly on the electron temperature, the methods of calculating electron heating following field ionization are discussed. Recent experiments aimed at demonstrating lasing in H‐like Li at 135 Å are discussed along with modeling results. The …

A Masing [Fe Xi] Line, Gary J. Ferland

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

I draw attention to a maser which occurs within the ground term of Fe¹⁰⁺. In many photoionized environments, infrared fine-structure lines and the [O I] λ6300 line become optically thick but maser amplification of ionic fine-structure lines is unusual. During the course of development of a code designed to simulate gas under radiative-collisional equilibrium, the radiative transfer of roughly 500 ionic/atomic emission lines was treated using escape probabilities. Nearly all forbidden lines can become optically thick under extreme conditions, but the ³Pj = 1, 0 [Fe XI] 6.08 μm transition is the only line …

The Narrow-Line Region Of High-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei, Beverley J. Wills, H. Netzer, M. S. Brotherton, Mingsheng Han, D. Wills, J. A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, I. W. A. Browne

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We have made high signal-to-noise spectroscopic observations of seven radio-loud quasars with the Faint Object Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope and from the ground at McDonald Observatory and at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The resolution is 300-400 km s^-1 over the wavelength range 1000-8500 Å, enabling us to separate the broad and narrow components of the emission lines. This is the first study of the optical and UV narrow lines in such high-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs).

The most important and striking observational result is the relative weakness of the narrow ultraviolet lines, assuming that they have …

Argon-Photoion–Auger-Electron Coincidence Measurements Following K-Shell Excitation By Synchrotron Radiation, Jon C. Levin, C. Biedermann, N. Keller, L. Liljeby, C.-S. O, R. T. Short, Ivan A. Sellin, Dennis W. Lindle

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Research

Argon photoion spectra have been obtained for the first time in coincidence with K-LL and K-LM Auger electrons, as a function of photon energy. The simplified charge distributions which result exhibit a much more pronounced photon-energy dependence than do the more complicated noncoincident spectra. In the near-K-threshold region, Rydberg shakeoff of np levels, populated by resonant excitation of K electrons, occurs with significant probability, as do double-Auger processes and recapture of the K photoelectron through postcollision interaction.

Cosmic Rays And The Emission-Line Regions Of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gary J. Ferland, R. F. Mushotzky

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We discuss the effects that the synchrotron emitting relativistic electrons, which are known to exist throughout many distance scales in active nuclei, could have on the emission-line regions that characterize these objects. Detailed models of both the inner, dense, broad-line region and the outer, lower density, narrow-line region are presented, together with the first models of the optically emitting gas often found within extended radio lobes. We show that, in all cases, if the relativistic gas that produces the synchrotron radio emission is mixed with the gas in the emission-line region, then significant changes in the emission-line spectrum will result. …

Are There Any Shock-Heated Galaxies?, Gary J. Ferland, Hagai Netzer

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We study the spectroscopic characteristics of low ionization nuclear emission-line regions (Liners) in galaxies, and compare them with other active galactic nuclei. We show the results of new, extensive photoionization model calculations and use them to investigate line ratio diagrams, such as [O III] λ5007/Hβ versus [O II] λ3727/[O III] λ5007, and [O I] λ6300/[O III] λ5007 versus [O III] λ3727/[O III] λ5007. On the diagrams broad line objects, Seyfert 2 galaxies, and Liners form a continuous smooth sequence of decreasing ionization parameter. This suggests a common origin for line excitation in …

Broad Line Region Clouds And The Absorbing Material In Ngc 4151, Gary J. Ferland, R. F. Mushotzky

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The constraints imposed by X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical observations on the absorbing material in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151 are discussed. These observations are compared to the predictions of photoionization models of both broad line region clouds, which Holt et al. identify as the source of the extinction, and to models of the narrow line region gas. The weakness of both C III] 1909 and the broad component of Hα relative to C IV 1549, together with the absence of an absorption Balmer jump, indicate that the ionization parameter for the broad line region is a factor …