Relaxation of atomic iron

The selenium atom experiments demonstrated the possibility of a general study of the relaxation of ground state atoms. The second system, involving atomic iron, 

By assuming a linear dependence of log. cross-section for deactivation on the change in internal energy (discussed in detail below), and determining 34 from 

From the final phase of the atomic relaxation the first-order rate coefficients for the / = 3 - 4 transition were determined at different argon pressures, to separate out the individual rate coefficients for the processes 

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Fig. 21 shows the formation and relaxation of atomic iron, which attains a Boltzmann distribution after about 300 /isec. Depletion of the total atomic concentration is not significant at times shorter than 1 msec in argon at pressures less than 100 torr. However, Fe -Fe collisions do appear to play an important role in the overall relaxation process. 

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