Cumulative ionization of atoms in a plasma of an alkali metal

Calculations of the ternary recombination coefficient in an alkali metal plasma are used to obtain an expression for the rate constant for cumulative ionization of atoms of an alkali metal at the high electron density limit. The expression is applicable to the region of lower electron densities in which radiative transitions from low resonance-excited states are possible. A comparison is made of the rate constants for thermal and cumulative ionization of alkali metal atoms by electron impact