Cross Sections for l-Mixing of K(n²F) States in Collisions with Ground-State K(4²S) Atoms

Abstract

We report measurements of the cross sections σt-mix for angular momentum mixing of the K(n2F) (n = 6, 7, 8) states with the K(n, d > 3) states, induced in thermal collisions with parent ground state K(4 2S) atoms. The experiment was performed in a cell heated to ca. 450 K. The n2F states were excited in two steps: 4 2S-> 42P-4. n2F by using a diode laser for the first step (a dipole-transition) and a pulsed dye laser for the second step (a quadrupole-transition). The measured values σl-mix (62F) = 3. 6 ± 2. 2 , σ l-m i x (7 2 F) = 4. 2 ± 2. 6 a n d o l-m i x (82 F) = 8. 0 ± 4. 6 (i n u n i t s o f 10-13 cm-1) are close to the corresponding values of the geometrical cross sections.