TRANSITION PROBABILITIES AND MEAN LIVES OF 3S2 LASER LEVEL IN NEON-1

The mean life of the 3s2 (Paschen notation) laser level in Ne I has been measured for a series of pressures in the range of 3-7 μm Hg using a method of delayed coincidence. The lifetime values, obtained by means of the 3s2→2p4 (6328 ) transition, show an increase in magnitude with increasing pressure. This pressure dependence was interpreted as being due to the imprisonment of the 600.04 radiation emitted in the transition of the 3s2 level to the ground state. The Holstein theory of the imprisonment of resonance radiation was applied to the analysis of the lifetime-versus-pressure data to yield the following results: A600=2.45±0.20×107 sec-1, f600=0.0040±0.0003, ′A=A-A600)=1.61±0.12×107 sec-1, and lifetimes of 25 ± 2 and 62 ± 5 nsec for the low-pressure and high-pressure limits, respectively. The error limits were derived from the standard deviations in the measured lifetimes and the measured pressures. Experimental results of other workers along with theoretical values calculated under various assumptions are presented for comparison with the results of the present work. © 1969 The American Physical Society.