ANGULAR-MOMENTUM STATE MIXING AND QUENCHING OF N=3 ATOMIC-HYDROGEN FLUORESCENCE

Measurements are presented for atomic hydrogen n = 3 excited state flu orescence quenching in the presence of various quenching gases over a range of pressures up to 50 Torr. The n = 3 excited state was probed u sing two-photon allowed laser induced fluorescence. Comparisons using nonlinear least-squares regression fits are made between the data and a model calculation using rate equations which describe the population changes for the different angular momentum levels of the n = 3 state. Included in the calculation is the effect of angular momentum state m ixing and translational cooling. The regression fits provide rate cons tants for nonradiative quenching and angular momentum state mixing and are compared with other previously measured values from the literatur e.