Collisional depolarization of light alkali atoms excited to their lowest ²P levels

Abstract

Transition matrix elements connecting the Zeeman sublevels of the lowest p doublets in light alkali atoms have been derived using methods of steady-state collision theory. The matrix elements generally consist of two parts which, under rotations of the quantization axis with respect to the scattering plane, behave likecomponents of a first rank and a second rank tensor, respectively. Only the second rank tensor components lead to the selection rule j, m, * j, -I ? l j , whereas the first rank tensor components do not.The latter can be ascribed to a formal interaction term which is proportional to the inner product of the orbital angular momenta of the valence electron and the colliding atoms, respectively, thus accounting for molecular coupling phenomena during the collision. Finally, the transition matrix elements are used to calc~~late the depolarizing cross sections from the van der Waals potential.

Material Losses and Compositional Changes in Two-Step Processed CuInSe2 Thin Films

“…Equation (14) implies that transitions between the Zeeman levels of the j = (1967) (see also Wang and Tomlinson 1969and Elbel 1970 first suggested this as the reason for the smallness of the orientation depolarization cross section of the j = 4 level compared with the orientation and alignment cross sections of the j = 3 level which derive from first-order allowed processes. Thus, non-zero transition probabilities between j = $ states can only occur in a region of 'dominant-coupling'.…”

“…1543 Grawert 1969, Wang and Tomlinson 1969, Gordeyev et a1 1969, Elbel 1970, Dashevskaya 1971, Masnou-Seeuws and Roueff 1972, Hidalgo and Geltman 1972a, Dashevskaya and Mokhova 1973.…”