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Observation of CN [ital A][r arrow][ital X] and [ital B][r arrow][ital X] emissions in gas-phase collisions of fast O([sup 3][ital P]) atoms with HCN

Journal Article · · Physical Review A; (United States)
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109 (United States)
  2. Phillips Laboratory/WSSI, Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, Massachusetts 01731 (United States)

Optical emissions in single-collision reactions of fast (5--25-eV translational energy) O([sup 3][ital P]) atoms with HCN have been measured in a crossed-beam geometry. The emissions were observed in the wavelength range 345--430 and 550--825 nm, and were identified as the CN([ital B] [sup 2][Sigma][sup +][r arrow][ital X] [sup 2][Sigma][sup +]) and CN([ital A] [sup 2][Pi][sub [ital i]][r arrow][ital X] [sup 2][Sigma][sup +]) transitions, respectively. The experimental [ital B][r arrow][ital X] vibrational bands were found to fit a synthetic spectrum of CN at a vibrational temperature of 7000 K (0.60 eV) and a rotational temperature of 2000 K (0.17 eV). The [ital A][r arrow][ital X] spectra were simulated in terms of known Franck-Condon factors for that band system. The energy threshold for the CN([ital B][r arrow][ital X]) emission was measured to be 7.4[plus minus]0.8 eV (lab) or 4.6[plus minus]0.5 eV (c.m.), which agrees with the energy threshold for the reaction O([sup 3][ital P])+HCN([ital [tilde X]])[r arrow]OH([ital X])+CN([ital B]).

OSTI ID:
6429862
Journal Information:
Physical Review A; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review A; (United States) Vol. 48:1; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English