Study of a calcium afterglow in a Broida oven

A systematic study of a Broida source producing atomic calcium in ground state 1 S and first metastable 1 D and 3 P states is presented. The relative concentration of the metastables, produced by a DC discharge, is monitored with carrier gas pressure, heating power and discharge current, and it is observed that low values of these parameters are favourable to 1 D formation. These results are interpreted in terms of relative values of cross section of energy pooling forming the first resonant state 1 P, and the ratio of these cross section is estimated to be σ( 3 P- 3 P)/σ( 1 D- 1 D) # 5 x 10 -4 . Some properties of the source are described, including auto-absorptions of transitions originating from the 3 P and collisional relaxation of reaction products of Ca with halogenated compounds. An example of utilization of the source for the study of metastable reactivity is presented.