Quenching of Lyman-α Fluorescence

Intensities of scattered Lyman-α radiation have been measured for mixtures of partially dissociated hydrogen in argon with variable amounts of O2, N2, NO, N2O, CO, CO2, or SO2. Quenching cross sections measured for each of these gases, and obtained indirectly for H2 and Ar, have been corrected for radiation trapping using the theory of Holstein. We find σ2 values of 45 ± 15 (O2), 33 ± 10 (N2), 49 ± 25 (NO), 86 ± 30 (N2O), 52 ± 20 (CO), 120 ± 45 (CO2), 170 ± 50 (SO2), 30 ± 15 (H2), and 11 ± 5 (Ar) (all × 10−19 cm−2).