Influence of electric fields on background photo- and collisional ionization processes in Rydberg-atom collision studies - art. no. 015403

Studies of Rydberg atom collision processes, especially those with small re action rate constants, are frequently complicated by spurious background si gnals associated with photoionization by thermal blackbody radiation and wi th ionization resulting from collisions with background gas. Here we demons trate that the magnitude and relative importance of the signals that result from these processes are strongly influenced by the presence of an applied electric field. Possible causes of this dependence are discussed.