LASER INDUCED IONIZATION IN MAGNESIUM VAPOR

The ionization of magnesium vapor by resonant and off-resonant laser irradiation was investigated for the first time. Enhancement of ion signals was observed at the 3s²-3s4d ¹D and 3s²-3s5s ¹s two-photon atomic resonances. A "hybrid resonance" was detected which involves the production of 3s3p ¹P atoms from molecular magnesium. Doubly charged ions by laser radiation tuned to one and two-photon resonance levels of MgII were produced