Photoabsorption and Electron-Impact Dissociation of ArXe+ and KrXe+ Molecular Ions.

A number of optical and kinetic properties of heavy heteronuclear ions of inert gases ArXe⁺ and KrXe⁺ formed in the plasma of inert gas mixtures is investigated. Various types of nonadiabatic phototransitions between the ground and excited electronic terms of such ions, which are accompanied by charge exchange, are considered. The contributions of bound–free (photodissociation) and bound–bound phototransitions to the total photoabsorption coefficient under the conditions of thermal excitation of the entire vibration–rotation quasi-continuum are analyzed. We report on the results of calculation of the effective cross sections and rate constants of these processes of continuous absorption of electromagnetic radiation of the visible and UV ranges by ArXe⁺ and KrXe⁺ ions at different temperatures of the ionic plasma component. The resonant mechanism of dissociation of ArXe⁺ and KrXe⁺ ions by an electron impact in the processes of dissociative recombination and direct dissociative excitation is also considered. Analysis performed in this work extends the physical pattern of radiation-induced and collisional processes in the plasmas of Rg/Xe inert gas mixtures (Rg = Ar, Kr) excited by an electron beam, in gas discharges, and during optical pumping. The results of this study can be used for constructing kinetic models of active media of gas and plasma lasers, radiation sources of the UV range, excimer laser tubes, and microplasma cell arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]