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Observation of large vibration-to-vibration energy transfer collisions ([Delta][ital E][gt]3500 cm[sup [minus]1]) in quenching of highly excited NO[sub 2] by CO[sub 2] and N[sub 2]O

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.468050· OSTI ID:6836711
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323 (United States)

Time-resolved Fourier transform infrared emission spectra, recorded after 475 nm excitation of NO[sub 2] in a CO[sub 2] or N[sub 2]O bath, show IR emission from collisionally populated vibrational levels of the bath gas. The frequency of the observed bands proves that the emission arises from either the (1,0[sup 0],1), (0,2[sup [ital l]],1), and/or (0,0[sup 0],2) levels of CO[sub 2] or N[sub 2]O. From the pressure dependence of the emission intensity it was determined that these levels are populated by single collisions with excited NO[sub 2]. Under typical conditions (1:10 ratio of NO[sub 2] to bath gas and 1--2 Torr total pressure) a steady state concentration is reached in our experiments where 0.016[plus minus]0.006 multiply excited CO[sub 2] molecules, or 0.03[plus minus]0.01 multiply excited N[sub 2]O molecules were generated per laser excited NO[sub 2]. A transition dipole coupling model is applied to explain these results, where the resonance conditions for vibration-to-vibration energy transfer are relaxed by extensive vibronic and vibrational couplings in highly excited NO[sub 2]. In this model the energy-dependent transition dipole of excited NO[sub 2] is derived from the time-resolved IR emission spectra. The probability of [Delta][ital v]=1 energy transfer collisions for excited NO[sub 2] with CO[sub 2] or N[sub 2]O can be accurately calculated. However, analysis of the time-resolved data shows that the probability for [Delta][ital v][gt]1 [ital V]--[ital V] energy transfer is ca. two orders of magnitude larger than the probability predicted by the dipole coupling model, and that NO[sub 2] molecules with energies as low as 5000 cm[sup [minus]1] have a non-negligible probability for exciting the overtone levels of CO[sub 2] and N[sub 2]O. Finally, it was found that the dipole coupling model also underestimates the probability for the [Delta][ital E][gt]10 000 cm[sup [minus]1] supercollisions deduced in previous experiments.

DOE Contract Number:
FG02-86ER13584
OSTI ID:
6836711
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Physics; (United States) Vol. 101:10; ISSN JCPSA6; ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English