Observation of collisional ionization of chromium atoms in high Rydberg states and the N sup 4 scaling relation
- Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244-4100 (USA)
We have used mass selected multiphoton dissociation/excitation/collisional ionization (MPD/MPE/CI) spectroscopy to study benzene chromium tricarbonyl (BCT) in an effusive molecular beam under collisionless and collisional conditions. Under collisionless conditions, our results are entirely consistent with, but not identical to, our earlier nonmass selected published experiments under bulk gas conditions. The spectroscopic results confirm that we can produce chromium atoms in a variety of well defined Rydberg states (7{ital S}{sub 3}({ital Ns}3{ital d}{sup 5}), {ital N}=30--43). Following the state selective preparation of the chromium Rydberg atoms, by MPD of BCT followed by MPE of the ground state chromium atoms, they can be allowed to collide with ground electronic state benzene chromium tricarbonyl molecules producing ground state chromium ions and other products. We observe the scaling of the cross section for this collisional ionization process as a function of the Rydberg electron principal quantum number. The cross sections are a strong function of the Rydberg electron principal quantum number {ital N}, even when {ital N} is very large. Scaling as {ital N}{sup 4}, the cross sections suggest that dipolar interactions with molecular colliders can be quite efficient at inducing collisional ionization of Rydberg atoms.
- OSTI ID:
- 6741759
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Chemical Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Physics; (USA) Vol. 93:1; ISSN JCPSA; ISSN 0021-9606
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
BEAMS
CARBONYLS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHROMIUM
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DISSOCIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
IONIZATION
METALS
MOLECULAR BEAMS
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
MULTI-PHOTON PROCESSES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
RYDBERG STATES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
YIELDS