Discrete fluorescent saturation regimes in multilevel systems

Using models of multilevel atoms, the fluorescent process was examined for the ratio of the photooxidation rate, Pij, to the collisional oxidation rate, Cij, in the pumped resonance transition i-j. It is shown that, in the full range of the parameter Pij/Cij, there exist three distinct regimes (I, II, and III) which may be usefully exploited. These regimes are defined, respectively, by the following conditions: Pij/Cij smaller than about 1; Pij/Cij much greater than 1 and Pij much lower than Cki; and Pij/Cij much greater than 1 and Pij much higher than Cki, where Cki is the collisional rate populating the source level i. The only regime which is characterized by the sensitivity of fluorescent-fluorescent line intensity ratios to Pij is regime I. If regime III is reached, even fluorescent-nonfluorescent line ratios become independent of Pij. The analysis is applied to the resonant photoexcitation of a carbonlike ion.