New fluorescence techniques for detecting noble gases

Two new concepts for detecting noble gases are reported. Both techniques involve formation of the long-lived 1s5 metastable state of noble gases. The first technique utilizes the photon-burst method and should be capable of isotopically selective detection at extremely small relative abundances. The second concept incorporates a shelving technique that stores noble gas atoms in the metastable state and then pumps these atoms to a higher excited state that radiatively cascades to the ground state, emitting vacuum ultraviolet (vuv) photons. A significant advantage is that AlGaAs diode lasers can be used for the techniques rather than continuous wave cw dye lasers. 5 refs., 1 fig