Electron impact excitation from metastable states of Helium and Neon

Differential and integral cross sections for excitation from the metastable states: 2{sup 3}S and 2{sup 1}S in Helium and {sup 3}P{sub 2} and {sup 3}P{sub 0} (2p{sup 5}3s) in Neon, have been calculated using Distorted-Wave level approximations. For Helium, the individual cross sections to all higher S, P, and D states, and their sum, have been obtained by using the n-dependence determined from the lower-n states. The cross section sum from either Helium metastable state is two-orders of magnitude larger than the corresponding sum from the ground state. Initial results from an analogous study involving the two metastable states of Neon will be presented.