DOI
10.17077/etd.zcflkvdv
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Degree
Spring 2018
Access Restrictions
Access restricted until 07/03/2019
Degree Name
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Degree In
Physics
First Advisor
Frederick Norman Skiff
First Committee Member
Frederick Norman Skiff
Second Committee Member
Donald A. Gurnett
Third Committee Member
John A. Goree
Fourth Committee Member
Gregory G. Howes
Fifth Committee Member
M. Lei Geng
Abstract
Extensive information can be obtained on wave-particle interactions and wave fields by direct measurement of perturbed ion distribution functions using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). For practical purposes, LIF is frequently performed on metastable states that are produced from neutral gas particles and ions in other electronic states. If the laser intensity is increased to obtain a better LIF signal, then optical pumping can produce systematic effects depending on the collision rates which control metastable population and lifetime. We numerically simulate the ion velocity distribution measurement and wave-detection process using a Lagrangian model for the LIF signal. The simulations show that optical pumping broadening affects the ion velocity distribution function (IVDF) $f_0(v)$ and its first-order perturbation $f_1(v,t)$ when laser intensity is increased above a certain level. The results also suggest that ion temperature measurements are only accurate when the metastable ions can live longer than the ion-ion collision mean free time. For the purposes of wave detection, the wave period has to be significantly shorter than the lifetime of metastable ions for a direct interpretation. Experiments are carried out to study the optical pumping broadening and metastable lifetime effects, and the results are compared with the simulation in order to validate the Lagrangian model for LIF. It is more generally true that metastable ions may be viewed as test-particles. As long as an appropriate model is available, LIF can be extended to a range of environments.
Keywords
Computational physics, Laser spectroscopy
Pages
xvii, 98 pages
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 90-98).
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Feng Chu
Recommended Citation
Chu, Feng. "Validation of a Lagrangian model for laser-induced fluorescence." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.zcflkvdv
Comments
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