FAST METAL-ATOM GENERATION BY LASER VAPORIZATION OF CU, ZN, AND NI COMPOUNDS

Fast metal atoms, generated when irradiating copper, zinc, and nickel compounds with 10 ns, 532 nm laser pulses in high vacuum, are investig ated. The metal-atom intensities are observed to be more than an order of magnitude higher when irradiating compounds as opposed to the pure metal samples. At laser power densities below 10(9) W cm(-2), the met al-atom velocity distributions are generally well described by shifted Maxwellian distributions. At laser power densities exceeding 10(9) W cm(-2), the velocity distributions become distinctly non-Maxwellian fo r most investigated systems. Very fast Rydberg atoms are observed at t he highest laser power densities and are attributed to three-body reco mbination collisions following plasma formation.