Abstract

The short-duration afterglow of an rf discharge in mercury has been examined versus mercury temperature and rf power. At temperatures below 333°K all atomic lines decay exponentially and no molecular-band emission is observed. From 333° to 428°K the atomic lines initially decay, then exhibit an enchancement, and finally decay with a small decay constant. In this region again no molecular-band spectra were observed. In the temperature range from 428° and 468°K, the first molecular-band emission is observed and the intensities of the atomic lines decrease. In the temperature range between 468° and 488°K, the band spectra suddenly appear with a total intensity comparable to the atomic lines. From absorption studies, the decay of the 6¹P₁, 6³P₀, 6³P₂ states has been studied and a theory is presented which explains the atomic emission at all temperatures up to 433°K. This theory yields an electron ambipolar diffusion coefficient of 853.1 cm²/sec and a lifetime for the 6³P₂ state of 46.8 μsec.

© 1968 Optical Society of America

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