Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Commons^™

Collisional And Spatial Characterization Of Electron Broadening In Rubidium Vapor, Jordan C. Mindrup

Theses and Dissertations

Stark broadening of the 4²D → 12²F transition of rubidium is examined in a rubidium vapor cell with modulated double pump-probe spectroscopy at helium pressures of 0.001 Torr, 3.0 Torr, and 30.0 Torr. A pressure dependent critical rubidium number density was observed after which the presence of electrons becomes dominant. It is observed that after the rubidium density threshold, a linear relationship is seen between rubidium number density and the Stark broadened width of the line shapes, with a slope of 0.079 ± 0.002, 0.18 ± 0.01, and 0.9 ± 0.1 for helium pressures of 0.001 …

The Population Densities Of Argon Metastable Levels, Nada Khogeer, Chelsy Gonzalez, Milka Nikolic

Physics and Astronomy

In this experiment, we used the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) method to obtain the main properties of low temperature Argon plasma. The experiment was sustained in powers and pressures that ranges from 30-100 W and 15-100 mTorr. We used numerical methods for the Argon kinetic model to calculate metastable levels and resonant states for the first excited states in low temperature Argon plasma. By finding the ratio of two spectral lines and finding another ratio from a different upper energy level that goes down to the same two lower energy levels, we can construct a system of two nonlinear equations. …

Dissociative Excitation Of H2 In An Rf Plasma, John Carlson

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is a widely used method for depositing thin films. In order to optimize the properties of the films, it is important to understand the plasma processes that occur during film growth. In this research we use optical emission spectroscopy in order to measure the spectral emission lines of a plasma produced with hydrogen gas. In conjunction with other measurements and modeling, these measurements can provide insight to the electron energy distribution of the plasma.

Construction And Optimization Of A Tapered Amplifier System For Applications In Ultra-Cold Plasma Research, Ryan Cole

Honors Theses

The number density of cold atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) is critically dependent on the intensity of the lasers used to cool the sample. To generate large optical powers while retaining the practicality of homemade external cavity diode lasers (ECDLs), a tapered amplifier (TA) system was designed and constructed to amplify the output of an existing 780 nm, continuous-wave ECDL. The amplifier’s performance is discussed in terms of its gain and power output. Under standard operating conditions, optical amplification of 12 dB is achieved, with a maximum power output of 0.75 W. The completed amplifier is installed into …

Diagnostics Of An O2–He Rf Atmospheric Plasma Discharge By Spectral Emission, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Mick Donegan, Patrick J. Cullen, Denis Dowling

Articles

In this paper optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used as a Diagnostic technique for the measurement of atomic and molecular spectral emissions generated using a helium rf industrial atmospheric plasma jet system. The OES of neutral atomic spectral lines and molecular bands are investigated over a range of plasma process parameters.
/="/">Wavelength resolve optical emission profiles suggest that the emission of helium’s spectral lines shows that the high energy electrons have a larger influence than helium metastables on the overall spectral emission. Furthermore, the experimental data indicates that the use of high helium flow rates, in any confined open …

Case Studies In Many-Body Physics, Ana Samolov

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The many-body problem refers to any physical problem made of more than two interacting particles. With increasing number of particles in a system, their coupling and entanglement becomes more complex, and there is no general analytic solution even for a three-body classical or quantum systems. However, some of the most fascinating phenomena in nature are products of collective effects. Therefore, significant efforts have been made in both experiment and theory to unravel some specific many-body problems. If we look at still unanswered physics questions we see that for most of these problems addressing the many-body interactions is a key issue. …

The Role Of Llnl's Fast Calibration Facility In Diagnosing Nif Fusion Plasmas, Joshua G. Thompson, Carey Scott, Greg V. Brown

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Fusion and Astrophysics (FAST) Calibration and Diagnostic Facility uses the original Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT-I) to profile x-ray filters that are used in the Dante Soft X-Ray Diagnostic at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). FAST has an advantage over any other facility not only for its high accuracy, but also for its proximity to NIF in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). This makes for highly accurate and near-instantaneous filter calibration turnover.

EBIT-I was first constructed to create, trap, and observe static highly charged ions (HCIs) and conduct experimental astrophysics (creating an x-ray spectroscopy catalogue of ions). To …

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Connor Drake

Physics

The goal of this work is to use a Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) Laser, spectrometer, and computer to create a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system. LIBS utilizes a focused, high-powered, pulsed laser whose peak electric field ionizes materials at the beam focal point, creating localized plasma.  The plasma state includes broken molecular bonds, atom/electron-ionization, and excited electrons, which on the macroscopic level is a loud “snap” and a bright spark. In this project, a fiber optic cable is used to capture light emitted from the spark, and direct it into a spectrometer which tallies the number of photons …

Characterization Of Microwave Cavity Discharges In A Supersonic Flow, Dareth Janette Drake

Physics Theses & Dissertations

A partially ionized gas is referred to as either a plasma or a discharge depending on the degree of ionization. The term discharge is usually applied to a weakly ionized gas, i.e. mostly neutrals, where as a plasma usually has a larger degree of ionization. To characterize a discharge the plasma parameters, such as the rotational temperature, vibrational temperature, and electron density, must be determined. Detailed characterization of supersonic flowing discharges is important to many applications in aerospace and aerodynamics. One application is the use of plasma-assisted hydrogen combustion devices to aid in supersonic combustion. In conditions close to the …

The Interaction Of Intense Laser Pulses With Atomic Clusters, T. Ditmire, Thomas D. Donnelly, A. M. Rubenchik, R. W. Falcone, M. D. Perry

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We examine the interaction of intense, femtosecond laser radiation with the large (50–200 Å) clusters produced in pulsed gas jets. Both experiment and simulation show that the plasmas produced during these interactions exhibit electron temperatures far in excess of that predicted by above-threshold ionization theory for a low-density gas. Efficient heating of the clusters by the laser is followed by rapid expansion of the clusters and long-lived x-ray emission from hot, decaying, underdense plasma.