This cooperative research award supports Jon Levin, Ivan Sellin, and students from their group at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to collaborate with Dr. Henrik Cederquist of the Physics Department at Stockholm University, Sweden. When an atomic ion in an excited state collides with a neutral atom, the resulting change of state of the incoming ion can be radiated away as a photon, or transferred to the neutral atom causing it to ionize (Penning radiation). The U.S. group has developed an experimental technique that can, for the first time, separate the radiative and non-radiative contributions to the total cross section for quenching of the excited ion. This new technique can measure branching rations and partial rates. The Swedish group, which has world-class expertise in this area, will participate in extending the experiments to include several species of atom and molecule not yet used as targets.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1998-05-01
Budget End
2002-04-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
$24,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Knoxville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37996