Measurement of ionisation rate coefficients of nitrogen ions

• Published in: Journal of physics. B, Atomic and molecular physics Atomic and molecular physics, 1983-06, Vol.16 (11), p.2053-2062
• Main Authors: Brown, R, Deuchars, W M, Kidd, D E, Summers, H P, Wood, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-3700
• DOI: 10.1088/0022-3700/16/11/023

Time histories of the emission of a number of spectrum lines of the ions N(+) to N(5+) have been measured in a theta-pinch discharge of maximum axial electron temperature 100 eV and electron density 8 x 10 to the 15th/cu cm. The lines observed in the discharge are subordinate lines in the quartz UV region and the observations were made both end on and side on to the discharge axis. Ionization rate coefficients have been inferred from comparison with a theoretical model of the transient ionization. The rates are conveniently expressed as scaling factors of an empirical ionisation rate expression due to Kunze (1971). These factors are 1.5 and 0.55 for N(3+) and N(4+) and the electron temperatures at the times of maximum abundance of these ions are 32 eV and 68 eV respectively. The result for N(4+) agrees well with the measurements of Kunze.