Diode laser probing of vibrational product state distributions in metal--molecule collisions: Hg(6 /sup 3/P/sub 1/)--CO/sub 2/(mn/sup l/ p)

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6772360

Brady, B B; Spector, G B; Chia, L; Flynn, G W

Diode laser probing has been used to follow the time dependent changes in the populations of low lying vibrational states of CO/sub 2/ produced via quenching of Hg(6 /sup 3/P/sub 1/) initially excited by a pulse from a doubled dye laser. The conversion of mercury electronic energy into CO/sub 2/ vibrational energy is quite efficient and mode specific. The ratio of the number of bending mode quanta to the number of asymmetric stretch quanta produced by the quenching process is 40 +- 12. The rate of filling of both the bending and asymmetric stretch levels is identical and corresponds to 80 CO/sub 2//CO/sub 2/ gas kinetic collisions. This data, taken in conjunction with the known quenching rate of Hg(6 /sup 3/P/sub 1/) by CO/sub 2/ (four gas kinetic collisions) suggests that the quenching process produces a metastable state of CO/sub 2/ which is either a bent electronic triplet or a highly excited vibrational level of the ground electronic state.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry and Columbia Radiation Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
• OSTI ID: 6772360
• Journal Information: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 86:6; ISSN JCPSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640304* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLISIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXCITED STATES
INFRARED SPECTRA
LASER RADIATION
MERCURY
METALS
METASTABLE STATES
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROBES
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
VIBRATIONAL STATES