The study of the 1s4–2pj optogalvanic transients in a neon discharge plasma

Time dependent optogalvanic signals induced by the 1s4 → 2pj laser excitations have been studied in neon DC plasma. The decay rates related to all the four 1si levels have been derived by fitting the waveforms with a mathematical rate equation model. The temporal signatures of three transitions namely 638.3, 650.7 and 724.5 nm related to the 2p7, 2p8 and 2p10 upper levels, respectively, have been found to be different from the rest of the transitions. We relate these effects to the population redistribution of decaying channels and to the processes responsible for the optogalvanic effect.