Radiative lifetimes were measured for a number of electronic states in neon I. The values of the lifetimes were obtained from a measurement of the time dependence of the intensity of light while the neon gas returned spontaneously to its ground state from a state of excitation. The excitation in the gas was produced by a pulsed electron gun. A monochromator of high resolution and light gathering power was designed and built for the purpose of isolating light from single transitions. The time resolved measurements on the light intensity were made using a photomultiplier and sampling oscilloscope. The lifetime of the 2p₁ state ( Paschen notation ) in neon was measured to be 15.2 ± 0.2 x 10⁻⁹ seconds, with a possible systematical error estimated at less than 5%. The lifetime of the 2s₂ state in neon was found to be 94.5 ± 4 x 10⁻⁹ seconds . Preliminary measurements of lifetimes were made for a number of other levels in neon. The relative values of several transition probabilities in neon were determined from relative intensity measurements. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

The shape of the Ne.λ6074.3 A° absorption line profile has been investigated using the Zeeman scanning technique. Neon glow discharges at three pressures, 2 Torr, 50 Torr, and 100 Torr, were used as absorbers while a 2 Torr Geissler tube was used as the source. The self-pressure broadening of the observed line was clearly observed and the rate of broadening compares well with theoretical estimates made from the impact theory with a van der Waals interaction assumed. No shift was detected, in contradiction to the theory. This lack of shift, and the rate of pressure broadening observed, were in agreement with the results of Smith (14) regarding the shift and broadening of the Ca.λ6573 A° line by neon. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate