Numerical simulation of the Zeeman effect in neutral xenon from NIR diode-laser spectroscopy

We present a numerical method for simulating neutral xenon absorption spectra from diode-laser spectroscopy of the Zeeman-split 6 S ′ [ 1 / 2 ] → 6 P ′ [ 1 / 2 ] line at 834.682 nm-air in a galvatron's plasma. To simulate the spectrum, we apply a Voigt profile to a spectrum of σ -transition lines of even- and odd-numbered isotopes computed from anomalous Zeeman and nonlinear Zeeman hyperfine structure theories, respectively. Simulated spectra agree well with Zeeman-split spectra measured from 30 to 300 G. A commercial nonlinear least-squares solver (LSQNONLIN) returns field strengths and translational plasma kinetic temperatures that minimize the error between simulated and experimental spectra. This work is a preamble to computing magnetic field topology and the speed distribution of neutral xenon particles in the plume of a Hall thruster from diode laser-induced fluorescence.