Investigations on afterglows of neon gas discharges

Experimental and numerical investigations on afterglows of neon gas discharges are described. The investigated pressure range extends from 0.5 torr to 100 torr; the discharge currents lie between about 1 mA and 100 mA. The decay of the 1s atom densities has been determined experimentally as function of the time elapsed in the afterglow. From the measured decay of metastable 1s5 atom densities at gas pressure <= 5 torr the diffusion coefficient of metastable Is5 atoms as well as the coefficinets of atomic collisional transfer between the 1s5 and 1s4 level are determined. To obtain more insight in the mutual influences of the various loss and production processes of 1s atoms and charge carriers in the afterglow a numerical model has been formed. The behaviour of the afterglow radiation intensity has been measured on discharges with a gas pressure of 1, 10, 20, 50 and 100 torr and a discharge current of 22, 24 and 50 mA. From the results the recombination distribution fractions of the 1s levels are determined and the electron densities at the start of the afterglow of 20, 50 and 100 torr discharges. With the help of the selective excitation spectroscopy the coefficients of atomic transfer between the 2p levels have been measured in the afterglow of discharge with a gas pressure of 1, 10, 20, 50 and 100 torr and a discharge current of 22 mA. From these results and the measured intensities of the various spectral lines in the afterglow the partial recombination coefficients for the 2p levels are calculated. (Auth. )