NEON 3P-EXCITATION BY PROTON IMPACT (100KEV-1MEV) - CROSS-SECTIONS AND LINE POLARIZATION

The excitation of all ten levels of the neon 2 p53 p configuration by proton impact (100 keV-1 MeV) has been investigated by the spectral analysis of photon emission. Absolute emission cross sections have been obtained by calibration with a standard light source. Cascade effects are shown to be very important especially in the case of J=1 levels. For the 3 p(1S0) level, which we studied additionally for electron impact excitation (100 eV-1 keV), our experimental cross sections are compared with the first Born approximation. Furthermore the polarization of sixteen 3 p-3 s emission lines has been measured as a function of impact energy. The energy dependence of the line polarization is characterized by the J quantum numbers of the atomic states involved in the respective transition. An anomalous polarization of all lines originating from the decay of J=1 levels has been found and is referred to dominant cascade effects. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.