Stationary inverted Lyman population and a very stable novel hydride formed by a catalytic reaction of atomic hydrogen and certain catalysts

Abstract Rb+ to Rb2+ and 2K+ to K + K2+ each provide a reaction with a net enthalpy equal to the potential energy of atomic hydrogen. The presence of these gaseous ions with thermally dissociated hydrogen formed a plasma having strong VUV emission with a stationary inverted Lyman population. We propose an energetic catalytic reaction involving a resonant energy transfer between hydrogen atoms and Rb+ or 2K+ to form a very stable novel hydride ion. Its predicted binding energy of 3.047 eV with the fine structure was observed at 4071 A, and its predicted bound-free hyperfine structure lines EHF=j23.00213×10−5+3.0563 eV (j is an integer) matched those observed for j=1–37 to within a 1 part per 104. This catalytic reaction may pump a cw H I laser.