The effect of the stochasticity of photoionization on 3D streamer simulations

Positive streamer discharges require a source of free electrons ahead of them for their growth. In air, these electrons are typically provided by photoionization. Here we investigate how stochastic fluctuations due to the discreteness of ionizing photons affect positive streamers in air. We simulate positive streamers between two planar electrodes with a 3D plasma fluid model, using both a stochastic and a continuum method for photoionization. With stochastic photoionization, fluctuations are visible in the streamer's direction, maximal electric field, velocity, and electron density. The streamers do not branch, and we find good agreement between the averaged stochastic results and the results with continuum photoionization. The streamers stay roughly axisymmetric, and we show that results obtained with an axisymmetric model indeed agree well with the 3D results. However, we find that positive streamers are sensitive to the amount of photoionization. When the amount of photoionization is doubled, there is even better agreement between the stochastic and continuum results, but with half the amount of photoionization, stochastic fluctuations become more important and streamer branching starts to occur

Confinement and electron correlation effects in photoionization of atoms in endohedral anions: Ne@C60^{z-}

Trends in resonances, termed confinement resonances, in photoionization of atoms A in endohedral fullerene anions A@C60^{z-} are theoretically studied and exemplified by the photoionization of Ne in Ne@C{60}^{z-}. Remarkably, above a particular nl ionization threshold of Ne in neutral Ne@C60 (I_{nl}^{z=0}), confinement resonances in corresponding partial photoionization cross sections sigma_{nl} of Ne in any charged Ne@C60^{z-} remain almost intact by a charge z on the carbon cage, as a general phenomenon. At lower photon energies, omega < I_{nl}^{z=0}, the corresponding photoionization cross sections develop additional, strong, z-dependent resonances, termed Coulomb confinement resonances, as a general occurrence. Furthermore, near the innermost 1s ionization threshold, the 2p photoionization cross section sigma_{2p} of the outermost 2p subshell of thus confined Ne is found to inherit the confinement resonance structure of the 1s photoionization spectrum, via interchannel coupling. As a result, new confinement resonances emerge in the 2p photoionization cross section of the confined Ne atom at photoelectron energies which exceed the 2p threshold by about a thousand eV, i.e., far above where conventional wisdom said they would exist. Thus, the general possibility for confinement resonances to resurrect in photoionization spectra of encapsulated atoms far above thresholds is revealed, as an interesting novel general phenomenon.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Latex2e, jpconf.cls styl

Atomic Modeling of Photoionization Fronts in Nitrogen Gas

Photoionization fronts play a dominant role in many astrophysical environments, but remain difficult to achieve in a laboratory experiment. Recent papers have suggested that experiments using a nitrogen medium held at ten atmospheres of pressure that is irradiated by a source with a radiation temperature of T$_{\rm R}\sim$ 100 eV can produce viable photoionization fronts. We present a suite of one-dimensional numerical simulations using the \helios\ multi-material radiation hydrodynamics code that models these conditions and the formation of a photoionization front. We study the effects of varying the atomic kinetics and radiative transfer model on the hydrodynamics and ionization state of the nitrogen gas, finding that more sophisticated physics, in particular a multi-angle long characteristic radiative transfer model and a collisional-radiative atomics model, dramatically changes the atomic kinetic evolution of the gas. A photoionization front is identified by computing the ratios between the photoionization rate, the electron impact ionization rate, and the total recombination rate. We find that due to the increased electron temperatures found using more advanced physics that photoionization fronts are likely to form in our nominal model. We report results of several parameter studies. In one of these, the nitrogen pressure is fixed at ten atmospheres and varies the source radiation temperature while another fixes the temperature at 100 eV and varied the nitrogen pressure. Lower nitrogen pressures increase the likelihood of generating a photoionization front while varying the peak source temperature has little effect.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, accepted to physics of plasma

Absolute photoionization cross section measurements of the Kr I-isoelectronic sequence

Photoionization spectra have been recorded in the 4s, 4p and 3d resonance regions for the Kr Iisoelectronic sequence using both the dual laser produced plasma technique (at DCU) to produce photoabsorption spectra, and the merged ion beam and synchrotron radiation technique (at ASTRID) to measure absolute photoionization cross sections. Profile parameters are compared for the 4s − np resonances of Rb+ and Sr2+. Many new 4p " ns, md transitions are identified with the aid of Hartree-Fock calculations, and consistent quantum defects are observed for the various ns and md Rydberg series. Absolute single and double photoionization cross sections recorded in the 3d region for Rb+ and Sr2+ ions show preferential decay via double photoionization. This is only the second report where both the DLP technique and the merged beam technique have been used simultaneously to record photoionization spectra, and the advantages of both techniques (i.e. better resolution in the case of DLP and values for absolute photoionization cross sections in the case of the merged beam technique) are highlighted

To Be or Not To Be a Molecular Ion: The Role of the Solvent in Photoionization of Arginine.

Application of photoionization mass spectroscopy, a technique capable of assessing protonation states in complex molecules in the gas phase, is challenging for arginine due to its fragility. We report photoionization efficiencies in the valence region of aqueous aerosol particles produced from arginine solutions under various pH and vaporization conditions. By using ab initio calculations, we investigate the stability of different conformers. Our results show that neutral arginine fragments upon ionization in the gas phase but solvation stabilizes the molecular ion, resulting in different photoionization dynamics. We also report the valence-band photoelectron spectra of the aerosol solutions obtained at different pH values

Photoionization Rates of Cs Rydberg Atoms in a 1064 nm Far Off-Resonance Trap

Experimental measurements of photoionization rates of $nD_{5/2}$ Rydberg states of Cs ($50 \leq n \leq 75$) in a 1064 nm far off-resonance dipole trap are presented. The photoionization rates are obtained by measuring the lifetimes of Rydberg atoms produced inside of a 1064 nm far off-resonance trap and comparing the lifetimes to corresponding control experiments in a magneto-optical trap. Experimental results for the control experiments agree with recent theoretical predictions for Rydberg state lifetimes and measured photoionization rates are in agreement with transition rates calculated from a model potential.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure