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Measurement of Low Vapour Concentrations by Collision with Excited Rare Gas Atoms

Abstract

THE ionization of gas or vapour molecules by collision with excited rare gas atoms has been studied in detail by Jesse and Saduskis1. Ionization occurs when the excitation potential of the rare gas is equal to, or greater than, the ionization potential of the colliding molecule. The vapours of nearly all organic substances have ionization potentials lower than the excitation potentials of the first three noble gases so that ionization by collision with excited rare gas atoms forms the basis of a method for measuring low concentrations of organic vapours.

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References

  1. Jesse, W. P., and Saduskis, J., Phys. Rev., 100, 1755 (1955).

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  2. Lovelock, J. E., J. Chromat., 1, 35 (1958).

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  3. Lovelock, J. E., James, A. T., and Piper, E. A., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. (in the press).

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LOVELOCK, J. Measurement of Low Vapour Concentrations by Collision with Excited Rare Gas Atoms. Nature 181, 1460–1462 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/1811460b0

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