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Collisional quenching and energy transfer in NS B /sup 2/Pi

Journal Article · · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6783349

Total collisional removal rate constants k/sub d/ for the B /sup 2/Pi excited electronic state of the NS free radical are measured for several collider molecules. For the lowest vibrational level (v' = 0), k/sub d/ is the electronic quenching rate constant; and for the vibrationally excited v' = 1 and v' = 6 levels, k/sub d/ is the sum of those for electronic quenching and vibrational relaxation. Nitrogen sulfide free radicals are produced in a discharge flow reactor and the B /sup 2/Pi state is prepared and monitored by laser-induced fluorescence. Measurements are made for nine different collision partners: He, N/sub 2/, O/sub 2/, SF/sub 6/, N/sub 2/O, H/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, CO/sub 2/, and NH/sub 3/. Except for NH/sub 3/, the thermally averaged quenching cross sections at room temperature are less than 10 A/sup 2/; this is a small value for electronic quenching of open shell diatomic radicals. For v' = 6, k/sub d/ is smaller than for v' = 1 for N/sub 2/, SF/sub 6/, N/sub 2/O, and CO/sub 2/, but larger for H/sub 2/, O/sub 2/, and He. The vibrational relaxation pathway from v' = 1 to v' = 0 constitutes about 25% of the total v' = 1 collisional removal for O/sub 2/, N/sub 2/O, and SF/sub 6/.

Research Organization:
Molecular Physics Department, SRI International, Menlo Park, California 94025
OSTI ID:
6783349
Journal Information:
J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 86:12; ISSN JCPSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English