Effects due to the interaction between the 300K background blackbody radiation (BBR) and xenon nf Rydberg atoms are reported. Transitions to nearby d and g levels are observed and the transition rates are found to be consistent with the predictions of a simple theoretical calculation which makes use of electric dipole matrix elements obtained by use of the quantum defect method. When the radiation background is reduced to that appropriate to a black body at liquid nitrogen temperature by cooling the apparatus, the transition rates are also observed to decrease. The reduction in the transition rates to the d and g states is consistent with the calculated decrease in the ambient blackbody flux. The total net depopulation rate of the f states is reduced as well when the temperature of the environment is lowered. The change in the observed lifetimes of the f states is in good agreement with the calculated decrease in the blackbody-induced depopulation rate.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:RICE/oai:scholarship.rice.edu:1911/15620 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | HILDEBRANDT, GEORGE FLAVIUS |
| Source Sets | Rice University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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