H(3s) beam production by laser excitation of metastable hydrogen atoms in an electric field. II. Theoretical approach

For pt.I see ibid., vol.18, no.18, p.3557-37 (1985). A quantitative description of H(3s) atoms produced by laser excitation of a metastable hydrogen beam in an electric field is performed and compared with the recent experimental results of Claeys et al. (1985). The Stark effect for n=3 is calculated to obtain the relative intensities of the five Stark transitions as a function of the field strength. Good agreement with the experimental values is found. The dynamical behaviour of the 3s and 3p Stark states when the atoms leave the field is then analysed. Due to the adiabatic evolution we found that only one Stark state can produce H(3s) atoms.