Emission and level population in the nuclear-induced plasmas of gas mixtures

Summary form only given. Investigation of the luminescent properties of nuclear-induced plasmas is of interest to develop methods of output power from a nuclear reactor, as well as to elaborate lasers pumped by hard ionizer: electron or ion beams, the products of nuclear reactions. The luminescence spectra of gases and gas mixtures with metal vapors were investigated on the stationary nuclear reactor WWR-K, as well as with the use of radioactive isotopes. Kinetics of excitation of the first negative systems of nitrogen and carbon monoxide, heteronuclear ionic molecules of inert gases by ionizing radiation was studied. Mechanisms of population of the levels in gas lasers pumped by ionizing radiation on 3p-3s-transitions of neon, d-p-transitions of inert gases, mercury and cadmium triplet lines are analyzed. Excitation transfer to the neon atoms from metastable atoms of helium and direct excitation of neon by nuclear particles and secondary electrons are assumed to be the most probable channel of the Ne(3p) population. In neon 3d and 4s, 5s levels are excited by secondary electrons, in cascade transitions from these levels the Ne(3p) population takes place. The 3d and 4s, 5s levels optically connected with the basic state shall be effectively excited by electron impact. The 5s-4p, 4p-4s, 4s-3p cascade transitions may also contribute in populating the 3p-levels of NeI. In helium-neon mixtures the 3p-levels populating also occurs in the processes of non-resonant transfer of excitation from the He(2₃S₁), He(2₁S₀) metastable atoms to the 4s, 5s levels of neon and in subsequent cascade transitions. Similar conclusions may be made in relation to mechanisms of levels populating in the lasers with ionizing pumping at the nd-(n+1)p-transitions of inert gases (n=3, 4, 5 for argon, krypton and xenon, correspondingly). The obtained results are consistent with the data on predominate forming of the Ar, Kr, Ne atoms in the (n+1)s or grou- d (np) states at dissociative recombination of the Ar₂₊, Kr₂₊, Ne₂₊ ions₁. Dissociative recombination of the molecular ions with electrons is the basic process of populating the 7₃S₁ level of a mercury atoms, 6₃S₁ level of cadmium atoms. The opportunity of creation of the effective quasi-CW laser with ionized pumping on the first negative system of CO is considered.