Vibrational energy transfer from C2H4 to CO2 studied at low temperatures in a jet by infrared double resonance

In a mixed CO₂-C₂H₄ jet the populations of rotational levels in the ground andv ₂ (667 cm^?1) vibrational state of CO₂ are probed by color center laser absorption. The rotational distributions are well described by a rotational temperature. On the timescale of the expansion thev ₂ state does only relax through resonant deexcitation by CO₂ clusters. A 10% fraction of C₂H₄ molecules is excited into thev ₇ (949 cm^?1) level by CW CO₂ laser absorption, subsequently releasing energy into the expansion due to relaxation to lower C₂H₄ vibrational states and to thev ₂ mode of CO₂. Observed are the induced rise of rotational temperature and the increase ofv ₂ level population. By probing at several distances from the nozzle the temperature range from 30–155 K is covered. The vibrational transfer of the excited C₂H₄ to thev ₂ level of CO₂ has a near quadratic inverse temperature dependence, increasing by a factor of 40 when the temperature is lowered from 155 K to 30 K.