ELECTRON-IMPACT-INDUCED EXCITATION TRANSFER BETWEEN 3S LEVELS OF THE NEON ATOM

A full set of rate constants for electron-impact-induced excitation tr ansfer between P-3(2), P-3(1), P-3(0) and P-1(1) stares of the Ne atom is obtained from optical absorption measurements in the afterglow He- Ne plasma with pulsed electron heating in the electron temperature ran ge T-e = 0.03-1.2 eV. The rate data are consistent with the model requ iring that the atomic-core total angular momentum cannot change if a t ransition is to occur.