Nonmaxwellian plasma electrons in the inversion population of Nelike ions

Articles you may be interested in Plasma broadening and shifting of analogous spectral lines along isoelectronic sequences AIP Conf. Abstract: Level populations and line intensities are calculated for a pure Ne-like argon plasma showing their dependence on plasma parameters (electron temperature, density, plasma colmnn diameter, electron energy distribution, etc.). It is shown that intensity ratios for 2-3 resonance transitions in the Ne-like ion can be used for plasma diagnostics. These intensity ratios are sensitive enough to detect the fraction of suprahot electrons in the plasma. Suprahot electrons cause a strong inversion effect for highly excited levels, e.g. 15:2p3p [J=0], 29:2s3s [J=0]. For these levels, collisional excitation strengths are large at almost any energy of impact electron above threshold. The inversion changes in time with a maximum at t ~ 80 psec at an electron density of n e ~ 8 x 1018 cm-3. The inversion increases with electron energy.