Date of Award

3-23-2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

Charlton Lewis, PhD.

Abstract

This paper studies how alterations of features of RbHe potential energy surfaces (PES) for a diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) system effect the collisional cross section. The Split-Operator method is used to propagate a wave function along these PES and because they are radially coupled, the wave function can be transmitted from the starting surface to other energy surfaces. This transmittance is encoded in the correlation function. The full Hamiltonian used for propagation consists of the electronic potential, the nuclear kinetic energy, and the Coriolis coupling. The correlation function is used to generate the Scattering Matrix elements. These elements describe the transmittance and reflectance coefficients of the reactant wave packet. A temperature averaged cross section is then calculate for the π1/2 to π3/2 transition. Despite large changes in the correlation function and S-Matrix elements, the temperature averaged cross section varied little with change in PES and fell within experimental error margins.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENP-MS-17-M-107

DTIC Accession Number

AD1055101

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