The excitation cross section of cadmium atoms from metastable 5s5p 3 P 0, 2 states by electron impact

By means of the optical method using the technique of crossed electron and atomic beams, we obtained the absolute values of the excitation cross sections of metastable cadmium atoms and their energy dependences. The absolute cross section values reach ∼10 −16 cm 2 (at 30 eV). Sharp resonance-like maxima are observed in the energy dependences of the excitation cross section near the excitation thresholds, which are supposedly related to the formation and decay of negative-ion excited states of.