Abstract
Measurements have been made of electron-impact ionization and excitation of Balmer lines in low-current, steady-state discharges of hydrogen and deuterium. Results were obtained from spatial scans of lines for E/N ranging from 250 Td to 10 kTd. Here E is the electric field, N is the gas density, and 1 Td= V . Ionization and excitation coefficients versus E/N are presented for E/N between 250 and 1800 Td, and Nd (where d denotes the gap length) between 2.3× and 1.7× . Excitation coefficients obtained for and are placed on an absolute scale using a standard tungsten lamp calibrated against the blackbody radiation standard. The ionization coefficients are compared with previous experimental and theoretical data, while the excitation coefficients are compared with the calculated values.
- Received 21 November 1991
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.45.7463
©1992 American Physical Society