Production of a 23S Helium Beam

Abstract

Beams of metastable helium produced by electron bombardment generally contain atoms in both the 21S and 23S states. It is important in many experiments to distinguish between these states, or at least to know the population ratio. A beam of 23S and ground state helium atoms has been produced by electron bombardment and subsequent resonant quenching of 21S atoms with 21S−21P 2 μ radiation. This radiation mixes the 21S and 21P states, the latter decaying primarily to the 11S state by emission of 584 Å radiation. The quenching has been studied as a function of beam atom velocity. The results indicate that beams of metastable helium containing less than 1% 21S atoms can be produced.