Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for branching ratio and atomic lifetime measurements in singly-ionized neodymium and gallium

Precision laboratory astrophysics measurements can be made in laser-induced plasmas created for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Branching ratios from highly-energetic levels in singly-ionized neodymium may be measured by observing spontaneous emission in laser-induced plasmas in an argon environment at decreased pressures (∼ 7.7 mbar). Utilizing a broadband Echelle spectrometer with a spectral range from 200-840 nm, the spontaneous emission intensities from hundreds of transitions originating in 138 energy levels in Nd I, Nd II, and Nd III have been observed simultaneously, allowing the determination of branching ratios for these energy levels for branches greater than 1% in the visible wavelength range. In this study, eight branching ratios from the 23,229.991 cm-1 level in Nd II were measured and compared to previously determined values as a method for optimizing experimental conditions such as buffer gas pressure and observation delay time. The branching ratios of the eight branches were found to be in excellent agreement with three previously determined values from both experiment and theory. A plan to utilize this laser-induced plasma apparatus to measure the lifetime of the 4s5p3P2 level at 118,727.89 cm-1 in singly-ionized gallium using a cascade-photon-coincidence method is also presented. Utilizing a solid Ga target ablated in a helium environment, 'start photons' at 541.6 nm from a transition into the 4s5p3P2 level and 'stop photons' at 633.4 nm from a transition out of that Ga II energy level were observed. Single-photon detection will be accomplished using avalanche photodiodes with narrowband interference filters and delay times between the detection of coincident photons from these two transitions will be measured.