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Intermolecular energy exchange by infrared radiometry. Final report, 1 June-31 December 1979

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7063546

Excitation by translational energy of the asymmetric stretch vibrational mode of ground state carbon dioxide molecules in collision with nitrogen, oxygen and argon molecules has been studied, by intersecting two slightly collimated molecular beams in the field of view of an InSb photovoltaic detector which monitored resulting radiation in the 4.3 micrometer band. The excitation cross sections for all three combinations of partners were of similar magnitude and showed a strong dependence upon collision velocity. For nitrogen the measured cross sections ranged from about 0.0008 square Angstroms at 2 km/s to about 0.5 square Angstroms at 5 km/s. A similar but separate experiment determined an upper limit of 0.1 square Angstroms for the collisional excitation of hydrogen fluoride by krypton at energies up to 1.7 times the threshold requirement. Bulk relaxation rates for molecules in free jet expansion were also investigated. Results obtained from experimental data with the frequently used Sudden Freeze Model have been compared with those obtained by Numerical Integration. Success has been achieved in obtaining Method-of-Characteristics solutions for the free jet expansion with a varying specific heat ratio. This development provides the best description yet of relaxation in free jet expansion for any internal mode which can be characterized by a Boltzmann distribution of energy.

Research Organization:
Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (USA). Dept. of Engineering and Applied Science
OSTI ID:
7063546
Report Number(s):
AD-A-082540
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English