Rare gas–iodine complexes in the ion-pair states

Luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra in the vicinity of the optical–optical double resonance transitions to the I₂(, v_f = 8 and 9, J_f ≈ 55) levels have been measured at the bulb conditions for the I₂ + Rg mixtures (Rg = He, Ar, Xe) at the rare gas pressures 2–20 Torr and room temperature. Luminescence attributed to the RgI₂ complexes in the ion-pair states has been observed for the first time. It is argued that the complexes can be formed by direct optical excitation from the complexes or colliding pairs. Besides, the RgI₂ complexes in the ion-pair states can be formed in nonadiabatic internal conversion processes from the one. The complexes have rather long lifetime, especially in the case of Xe, and decay radiatively and nonradiatively forming I₂ molecules in different ion-pair states.