FINE-STRUCTURE TRANSITIONS IN METASTABLE NE-ASTERISK(P-3(0,2)) COLLIDING WITH H-2, HD, D-2, O-2, AND H2O AT THERMAL ENERGIES

The XUV photon emission following collision-induced fine-structure tra nsitions Ne(P-3(0,2))+M --> Ne*(P-1,3(1))+M --> Ne(S-1)+M+hv(74 nm) h as been measured for M=H-2, HD, D-2, O-2, and H2O in a beam-cell exper iment. The metastable Ne velocity ranges from 500 to 1500 m/s. No emi ssion was found for Ne(P-3(0))+M. An appropriate detector system enab les the determination of absolute P-3(2) -->P-3(1) transition cross se ctions. The hierarchy of the cross sections measured parallels that of collision-induced P-2(1/2)-->P-2(3/2) transition cross sections in Rb (5(2)P) and Cs(6(2)P) which have comparable fine-structure energy spli ttings. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.