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Experimental investigation of the chemistry of excited states of rare gases. Annual technical progress report, October 15, 1976--October 14, 1977

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6681231· OSTI ID:6681231
Tunable dye laser fluorescence has been combined with the flowing afterglow technique as a method for studying reactive intermediates present in the flowing afterglow. The radiative lifetimes and two-body quenching rate constants (with Ar carrier gas) for the Ar*(3p/sup 5/,4p) and Ar*(3p/sup 5/,5p) excited states were reported in the preceding year. During this year, we have measured the Ar* product states from the two-body quenching. More than 50% of the quenching leads directly to intermultiplet transfer to Ar(4s) states, rather than to intramultiplet cascade down the Ar(4p) manifold. Using this technique we also have studied the Xe(5p/sup 5/,6p') and Xe(5p/sup 5/,7p) excited states and radiative lifetimes, two-body quenching and the product states from quenching have been ascertained. These data should be of value for modeling energy flow pathways of rare gases excited by high energy electrons. A method has been developed for studying the quenching of the XeF(B) and KrF(B) by a variety of reagent molecules. A preliminary account of this work was published (number 5 in the publication list). Much additional experimental work has been done and a definitive study of the electronic quenching of XeF(B) and KrF(B) is in progress. Efforts to interpret (and publish) our comprehensive studies of the reactive quenching of the Kr(/sup 3/P/sub 2/) and Xe(/sup 3/P/sub 2/) by fluorine and chlorine-containing molecules has continued (see numbers 4, 6 and 8 in the publication listing). Two more manuscripts are in final stages of preparation. Of particular importance has been the development of methods for simulating and interpreting the bound-free emission spectra from the very high vibrational levels of the xenon and krypton fluorides and chlorides. Experiments have been done to measure the branching ratios for (i) ArF* formation from reactive quenching of Ar(/sup 3/P/sub 2/) with fluorine-containing reagents and (ii) KrBr* and Br* formation for Kr(/sup 3/P/sub 2/) reacting with some bromine-containing molecules.
Research Organization:
Kansas State Univ., Manhattan (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
OSTI ID:
6681231
Report Number(s):
COO-2807-11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English