Differential elastic scattering of Ne*(3s /sup 3/P/sub 2,0/) by Ar, Kr, and Xe: Optical potentials and their orbital interpretation

Journal Article · Thu Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1981 · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6981239

Gregor, R W; Siska, P E

Optical potentials for the title systems have been derived by simultaneous fitting of thermal-energy elastic scattering angular distributions reported here and ionization cross section and quenching rate constant data from other laboratories. The real parts of these potentials are similar to sodium--rare gas van der Waals potentials, with well depths epsilon=0.126 kcal/mole for Ne*+Ar, 0.192 kcal/mole for Kr, and 0.288 kcal/mole for Xe, with r/sub m/=5.0 A for all three systems. A direct inversion of Ne*+Xe rainbow scattering yields a potential in good accord with the parametric form used in fitting. One-electron model potential calculations also produce curves in good agreement with experiment, and shed light on the effect of orbital mixing (hybridization of the Ne*3s orbital) on the shape of the repulsive branch of the potentials. The derived resonance widths GAMMA (imaginary parts of the optical potentials) give evidence that a Coulomb or radiative mechanism dominates the thermal-energy quenching by Penning ionization, in contrast to the exchange mechanism thought to be dominant for He*(2 /sup 1/S,2 /sup 3/S). The neon 3d orbital, mixed into the excited electron's orbital by exchange repulsion, appears to play a key role in this mechanistic changeover.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
• OSTI ID: 6981239
• Journal Information: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 74:2; ISSN JCPSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640304* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
ARGON
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
FLUIDS
GASES
INTERATOMIC FORCES
KRYPTON
METASTABLE STATES
NEON
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
SCATTERING
XENON