Kinetics of the formation of Xe(6p[1/2]) and Xe(6p[3/2]2) by vacuum-ultraviolet irradiation

The (6p[1/2]0) and (6p[3/2]2) states of Xe have been produced by vacuum-ultraviolet irradiation and selectively detected by their emissions at 828.01 and at 823.16 nm due to the transitions (6p[1/2]0→6s[3/2]1) and (6p[3/2]2→6s[3/2]2), respectively. Both states are not radiatively coupled to the ground (1S0) level according to the electric dipole selection rules. A study of the intensity of the emission lines and of the relative quantum yields as a function of pressure allows a kinetic mechanism to be outlined consistent with the present data. Experiments have been carried out at nine selected wavelengths corresponding to peculiar regions in the Xe vacuum-ultraviolet absorption spectrum and the main result is the observation of a marked difference in the behavior of the system as far as the formation of the two relevant Xe states is concerned. The (6p[1/2]0) level shows a pressure dependence which is very often higher than the (6p[3/2]2) level and very close to the pressure dependence of the absorption of the incident radiation.