This letter presents an experimental study of vacuum-ultraviolet luminescence from low-energy electron-excited liquid xenon. Our experimental results provide strong support for the theory by [E. B. Gordon, V. V. Khmelenko and O. S. Rzhevskii, Chem. Phys. Lett. 217, 605 (1994)] which considers the rare-gas-atom excitations to be the main reason for the electron drift-velocity saturation occurring at high-electric fields in the condensed rare gases. Furthermore, our results prove the existence of hot electrons in liquid xenon and show that electron-excited liquid xenon could serve as the active medium for a novel type of excimer laser as proposed by [E. B. Gordon, O. S. Rzhevsky, and V. V. Khmelenko, Quantum Electron. 24, 227 (1994)].
REFERENCES
1.
2.
3.
E. B.
Gordon
, V. V.
Khmelenko
, and O. S.
Rzhevsky
, Chem. Phys. Lett.
217
, 605
(1994
).4.
E. B.
Gordon
, O. S.
Rzhevsky
, and V. V.
Khmelenko
, Quantum Electron.
24
, 227
(1994
).5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
E. M.
Gushchin
, A. A.
Kruglov
, and I. M.
Obodovskii
, [Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz.
82
, 1114
(1982
)].12.
R.
Reininger
, U.
Asaf
, I. T.
Steinberger
, and S.
Basak
, Phys. Rev. B
28
, 4426
(1983
).13.
14.
R. C. Munõz, in Excess Electrons in Dielectric Media, edited by C. Ferradini and J.-P. Jay-Gerin (CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1991).
15.
16.
D. Hérve, Thése de Doctorat, Université Joseph Fourier—Grenoble 1, France, 1995.
17.
UltraPure PF series 5 in Mini Purifier/Filter, Ultra Pure Systems Inc., P.O. Box 60160, Colorado Springs, CO 80960.
18.
19.
20.
J.
Jortner
, L.
Meyer
, S. A.
Rice
, and E. G.
Wilson
, J. Chem. Phys.
42
, 4250
(1965
).21.
E.
Morikava
, R.
Reininger
, P.
Gürtler
, and V.
Saile
, J. Chem. Phys.
91
, 1469
(1989
).22.
Model 9402, Electron Tubes Limited, Bury Street Ruislip Middlesex HA4 & TA, England.
23.
Model 218, McPherson, 530 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2000 American Institute of Physics.
2000
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.
