Riju, C Issac; Pramod, Gopinath; Geetha K, Varier; Nampoori, V P N; Vallabhan, C P G(American Institute of Physics, July 13, 1998)
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Abstract:
Laser-induced plasma generated from a silver target under partial vacuum conditions using the
fundamental output of nanosecond duration from a pulsed Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser is
studied using a Langmuir probe. The time of flight measurements show a clear twin peak
distribution in the temporal profile of electron emission. The first peak has almost the same duration
as the laser pulse while the second lasts for several microseconds. The prompt electrons are
energetic enough ('60 eV) to ionize the ambient gas molecules or atoms. The use of prompt
electron pulses as sources for electron impact excitation is demonstrated by taking nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, and argon as ambient gases.