Cross sections for energy transfer in collisions between two excited sodium atoms

We have measured cross sections, sigma/sub n/L, for the excitation transfer process Na(3P)+Na(3P)→Na(3S)+Na(nL), where nL is the 4D or 5S level. Our results are sigma/sub 4D/ = 23 A2 +- 35% and sigma/sub 5S/ = 16 A2 +- 35% at Tapprox.600 K. To obtain these cross sections we have used pulsed excitation and measured the intensities of 4D, 5S, and 3P fluorescence emissions, and the spatial distribution of excited atoms resulting from radiation diffusion, as well as the excited atom density as a function of time. Additionally, we have accounted for (time-dependent) radiation trapping of 3P and nL level radiation and for the resulting anisotropies of these fluorescence emissions. Comparisons of our results with theory have been made, and their relevance to other experiments is discussed