Collisions of xenon (nf) Rydberg atoms with ammonia
In thermal collisions between Xe(nf) Rydberg atoms and NH/sub 3/ collisional depopulation of the nf state occurs through at least three distinct mechanisms: n-changing collisions, l-changing collisions, and ionizing collisions. Using selective field ionization we have measured the total collisional depopulation rate constants k/sub d/ for laser-excited Xe(nf) atoms in the n range of 22 to 39. The magnitudes of k/sub d/ are large, corresponding to reaction cross sections comparable to the geometric size of the Xe(nf) atom at napprox.22. In the n range of 25 to 40, Xe/sup +/ ion production provides an absolute measure of the rate constants for collisional ionization. Approximate rate constants for n- and l-changing collisions are also presented for the 31f state. In these experiments we find that the state-changing collision rate constants are fairly independent of n and are determined largely by the l-changing collisions. The collisional ionization rate constants measured are smaller than the state-changing rate constants and increase with increasing n, ranging between 0.2 and 4.6 x 10/sup -7/ cm/sup 3//sec for n between 25 and 40. The present results are compared to those of recent theoretical calculations.
- Research Organization:
- Space Physics and Astronomy Department, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77001
- OSTI ID:
- 5484688
- Journal Information:
- J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 72:5; ISSN JCPSA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
AMMONIA
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXCITED STATES
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
XENON