Experimental verification of a zero-dimensional model of the kinetics of XeCl* discharges by XeCl*(B)-, XeCl*(C)-, and Xe2Cl*-density measurements

Absolutely calibrated emission spectroscopy has been used to determine the particle number densities of XeCl^*(B), XeCl^*(C), and Xe₂Cl^* in a small scale Ne/Xe/HCl discharge with well-defined current and voltage pulses for a wide range of parameters. The measured particle number densities could be reproduced quite well by numerical model calculations using the rate-coefficient values of Quiñones et al. 1] for the quenching of XeCl^*(B,C) by Ne, Xe, and 2Xe, but 3.0 × 10^–31 cm⁶/s for the formation of Xe₂Cl^* by (Ne + Xe)-quenching. For the electron quenching, we recommend a rate coefficient value of 3.2 × 10^–8 cm³/s. From the equilibrium ratio of the particle number densities of XeCl^*(C) and XeCl^*(B), the energy separation between these states has been estimated to be 72 ± 33 cm^–1 with the B state placed above the C state.