Spectroscopy and kinetics of heteronuclear molecular rare-gas ions: A review

Currently available data on parameters of spectral terms, emission spectra, and processes involving heteronuclear molecular rare-gas ions are summarized. Particular attention is given to experimental methods of studying the mechanism of dissociative recombination of these ions with electrons and the resulting formation of excited atoms in a recombining plasma. Possible channels of the involvement of heteronuclear ions in the inversion formation in active media of recombination (plasma) high-pressure rare-gas mixture lasers are analyzed. 127 refs., 16 figs., 5 tabs