Simultaneous Laser- and Ion-Beam Excitation of a Na-Beam Target

We report the first measurement of Na and Na⁺ autoionization spectra following collisions of 1-MeV He⁺ ions on selectively excited Na3p²P3/2 target atoms. The atomic states were populated with a cw dye laser which was tuned to the Na3s²S1/2→Na3p²P3/2 transition. The simultaneous laser- ion-beam excitation technique produces significant intensity variations particularly for the decay of the Na⁺2s2p⁶3s1,3S and the Na⁺2s2p⁶3p1,3P states. The technique may provide additional information for line identification, excitation mechanisms, and angular distribution measurements.