Electron impact ionization-excitation of laser excited barium

We have measured electron impact ionization - excitation (IE) cross sections for the Ba+ (... 6p P-2) level out of the excited (... 6s5d D-1,3(1,2)) and (... 6s6p P-1(1)) levels of the neutral atom in the energy range of 20 eV to 50 eV. Cross sections for IE out of the (... 6s6p P-1(1)) level are approximately twice as large as those from the (... 6S(2) S-1(0))ground state while cross sections for IE out of the D levels are comparable to those out of the ground state. The dependence of these cross sections on initial state alignment has been found to be small.