BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS: Determination of the populations of metastable levels in Gd vapor by a laser spectroscopy method during electron-beam evaporation of the metal
The relative populations of the levels of the a/sup 9/D/sup 0/ term in the electron configuration 4f/sup 7/5d6s/sup 2/ of atomic gadolinium were determined. Atomic vapor was obtained by evaporation of Gd with an electron beam. The distribution of the populations of all five levels of the a/sup 9/D/sup 0/ term differed considerably from the Boltzmann form.