Level-to-level vibrational energy transfer studies: energy dependence and observation of product species for azulenes(S0, Evib) + CO2

V—V energy transfer from a large molecule excited to vibrational energies of chemical interest has been demonstrated by detection of ≈ 1.5% yield of CO₂(001) due to energy transfer from azulene (E_vib ≈ 30600 cm^?1. Also, the average enery lost per collision by azulene was measured as a function of E_vib, and the rate constant for CO₂(001) deactivation by azulene was determined.     

V—V,V—R,T transfer in triatomic molecules. Results for ONF

The laser-induced fluorescence technique is applied to study vibrational energy transfer in pure ONF. Different vibrational modes are excited using a TEA CO₂ laser and the rise and fall of ν₁, ν₂, and (ν₁ + ν₃) fluorescence is detected. These measurements yield a detailed picture of V—V exchange in the region of the fundamentals and V—R,T transfer to rotational and translational degrees of freedom. The relaxation behavior of ONF is compared with that of ONCI and other triatomic molecules.     

Chemically pumped N2O laser

Optical gain and laser oscillation has been achieved in N₂O through selective excitation of the (001) state by vibrational energy transfer from CO². The CO² is produced by the flash photolysis initiated chemical reaction: O + CS → CO² + S.     

The Effect of Vibrational Excitation of Molecules on Plasmachemical Reactions Involving Methane and Nitrogen

An experimental study of plasmachemical reaction involving CH₄ and N₂ molecules in rf discharge was studied in order to know the effect of vibrational excitation of N₂ molecules. When the relative nitrogen concentration was greater than 0.8, the main product of CH₄ decomposition was HCN, and the rate of methane decomposition at this condition was faster than that one in pure methane. These results could be confirmed through the mass spectroscopic method. The reason for these results is the vibrational energy of N₂ excited by rf discharge. The chain reaction mechanisms of producing HCN by vibrational excitation of N₂ were examined closely through numerical simulation. The rate-controlling step was the dissociation reaction of excited nitrogen molecule to the atomic nitrogen, so the process of HCN synthesis was limited by the value of reaction constant, k^N.     

Electronic to vibrational energy transfer and relaxation in matrices. I. Hg in N2 matrix

Under KrF laser (249 nm) excitation of Hg atoms in a N₂ matrix in the temperature range 12–25 K we observed (i) a strong, broad-band fluorescence in the near-UV region assigned to a (Hg-N₂)^* exciplex (decay time from 800 to 100 μs) and (ii) infrared Δυ = −1 emission from high vibrational levels (υ = 6−12) of N₂ molecules in the electronic ground state, populated by the electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer (decay time 7 s on υ = 10−12 at 14 K). From time-resolved UV and IR spectra, one can conclude that the predominant part of the EV transfer takes place from thermally non-equilibrated levels, on a short time scale. This is unexpected in view of gas phase data and preliminary ab initio potential energy surface calculations. Temperature effects are discussed. Excited N₂ levels decay along a radiative path (predominant for the highest levels) and by VV transfer to N₂(υ=0) molecules with a rate decreasing rapidly with υ but strongly increasing with the sample temperature.     

Raman analysis of SF6 molecular beams excited by a cw CO2 laser

In a molecular beam the effects of vibrational pumping of SF₆ (ν₃ = 948 cm^?1) are studied, using a line-tunable cw CO₂ laser. Intracavity spontaneous Raman scattering is used for analysis. For excitation in the collision regime (x_E/D ≤ 1), a thermal redistribution of the ν₃ excitation over all vibrational modes is found, together with an average absorption up to six photons per molecule. The infrared absorption profile shows a red-shift of 6 cm^?1. For excitation in the relatively rare collision regime (x_E/D ? 4), a structured non-thermal ν₁ Raman spectrum is observed, especially in the case of seeded molecular beams (10% in He). The observed hot-band peaks can be explained in terms of single-photon absorptions and collision-induced near-resonant V-V energy transfer, leading to single, double and triple excitations of the ν₃ mode. The value of T_rot in the beam is found to influence sensitively the non-resonant energy-transfer rate [e.g. hν₃(948 cm^?1)+ΔE_rot → h(ν₄ + ν₆)(962 cm^?1) relative to the near-resonant transfer rate (hν₃ + hν₃ → 2hν₃ + 3.5 cm^?1)].     

Rapid interspecies energy flow between vibrationally excited SF6 and the asymmetric stretch of N2O

Rapid, selective collision-dependent excitation of N₂O following pumping of SF₆ with a CO₂ laser is reported. The N₂O fluorescence rise depends on the pressure of each component and is dominated by the SF₆-dependent contribution of 2290 ms^?1 Torr^?1. The subsequent fall is governed by V→V processes among SF₆ vibrational modes.     

Semiclassical calculation of energy transfer in polyatomic molecules. V. Differential cross sections for excitation of CO2 and N2O colliding with Li+ at E ≈ 4.72 eV

A semiclassical model has been used to calculate differential cross sections for vibrational excitation of CO₂ and N₂O at the center of mass collision energy E≈ 4.72 eV. Also the average rotational excitation as a function of the scattering angle is reported. Comparison is made with experimental data and previous more approximate theoretical calculations.     

Energy partitioning in O(1D2) reactions. I. O(D1D2) + H2S → OH(ν′) + HS

The complete vibrational distribution in the OH product of the reaction between O(¹D₂) and H₂S has been measured directly by the use of infrared emission spectroscopy under conditions appropriate to the stratospheric ozone layer. All energetically accessible vibrational levels are populated by the reaction. The vibrational distribution is inverted, having its maximum at OH(ν′ = 2 or 3). The reaction populating OH(ν′⩾1) partitions ≈ 44% of the available energy into OH vibration.     

Rapid sensitization of vibrational energy levels of N2O in collisions with SF6 excited by a CO2 laser

Experimental investigations of mixtures containing predominantly N₂O and small amounts of SF₆ demonstrate that rapid interspecies pooling of vibrational energy can occur to produce a pulse of excess vibrational energy in the ν₃ mode of N₂O following excitation of SF₆ by a Q-switch CO₂ laser. This increased population in the ν₃ mode of N₂O can occur on a time scale shorter than that on which collision-induced VV processes redistribute vibrational energy among the modes of SF₆. The equilibration takes place in three discernible stages: (1) a rapid pooling of energy between a limited number of levels of the SF₆ and N₂O, then (2) a slower collision-dependent VV process that equilibrates all the vibrational modes in the system, with (3) a subsequent VT,R process that returns the system to its initial state. Argon is shown to accelerate selectively process (2) with an efficiency consistent with the previously measured ability of argon to accelerate the VV process in pure SF₆. The experimental evidence indicates that other modes in N₂O do not become involved on the time scale on which direct crossing to ν³ occurs. Additionally, on the time scale preceding the SF₆ VV equilibration, a fast collision-dependent process competes with the transfer of excitation to N₂O. The production of a pulse of excitation in N₂O is eliminated when isotopically substituted N₂O (¹⁴N¹⁵NO) is used instead under the same conditions because the crossing rate to the ν₃ mode of N₂O is decreased sufficiently when ¹⁵N is substituted for ¹⁴N that it no longer can compete with the VV equilibration among the modes in SF₆.     

Vibrational excitation of SF6 in collisions with He atoms

Vibrational excitation of SF₆ molecules in collisions with He atoms is studied using a vibrational close-coupling, rotational infinite-order-sudden method of calculation. Integral and differential cross sections for excitation of the triply degenerate ν₆ and ν₅ vibrational modes of SF₆ are reported for thermal collisional energies. Excitation of the ν₆ mode is found to be particularly efficieny. The cross sections are much larger than those calculated previously for the excitation of the bending mode in the He + CO₂ system. The differential cross sections are backward peaked.     

Vibration—vibration energy exchange between carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide

Measurements have been made on the vibration—vibration (V—V) energy exchange rate between carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the temperature range 180 to 345 K. A steady-state vibrational fluorecence quenching technique was used in conjunction with an open flow gas system. Vibrational excitation of the carbon monoxide was accomplished by absorption of infrared radiation from prospane—oxygen flames. The measured rate constant for the process CO* (υ = 1) + CO₂ → CO + CO^*₂(001) increased linearly with temperature, and after correction for the V—V exchange rate fo the back reaction, the rate constant has a value of (2.2 ± 0.3) × 10³ torr^?1 s^?1 at 296 K. The data are compared to results at highest temperatures and to available theoretical calculations.     

Spectroscopy and energy distribution study of the Cl + HI chemical laser

The spectral distribution of the pulsed, flash initiated Cl + HI → HCl(ν) + I chemical laser (3.6μ–4.0μ) was studied in both free running and grating selected systems. New transitions in both cavities are reported. The relative populations of the lasing HCl vibrational levels were measured using the grating selection technique. The relative distributions were found to be N₃/N₂ = 1.10 to 1.29 and N₂/N₁ = 2.23 to 2.32. A computational comparison between the chemical laser results and previous measurements by the infrared chemiluminescence method is made in view of vibrational V—R,T,V′ relaxation processes which may change the nascent population distribution.     

Molecular beams of CF3Br probed by spontaneous raman effect and excited with a CO2 laser

The state population of CF₃Br is found to be entirely non-thermal under certain molecular beam conditions; the various vibrational modes show distributions which can be described using mode-temperatures differing by as much as a factor of 1.7. Considerable vibrational excitation (ν₁, ν₂ + ν₃) was produced with a focused cw CO₂ laser. A structured excitation spectrum was observed.     

The relaxation of HCN(011) by V-T,R and V-V energy transfer

Tuned output from an optical parametric oscillator has been used to excite HCN directly to its (011) level. By careful use of a “cold-gas filter”, it has proved possible to distinguish between the time-resolved fluorescence from HCN(011) and that from HCN(001) formed during collisional relaxation. Rate constants for relaxation from both levels have been obtained for the partners: (i) He, Ne, Ar and Kr, and (ii) HCN, CO₂, N₂O, OCS, CS₂, C₂H₂ and C₂D₂. With the rare gases, HCN(011) is relaxed to (001) by V-T,R energy transfer, with rate constants (cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) at 298 ± 4 K of: k_He⁰¹¹ = (7.9 ± 1.05) × 10^?13; k_Ne⁰¹¹ = (1.56 ± 0.12) × 10^?13; k_Ar⁰¹¹ = (1.20 ± 0.17) × 10^?13; k_Kr⁰¹¹ = (6.7 ± 0.65) × 10^?14. The molecular collision partners also transfer HCN(011) to (001). The rates are much greater and clearly near-resonant V-V energy exchange is important. The results are compared to first-order Sharma-Brau theory, with fair agreement where near-resonant channels exist.     

Infrared multiphoton excitation of small molecules

The collisionless infrared excitation by short CO₂ laser pulses of the molecules SO₂, OCS, NO₂, NH₃ and DN₃ is compared with that of larger molecules. The average number of photons absorbed per molecule and the fraction of molecules dissociated depends predominantly on the laser intensity, while for larger molecules with higher densities of vibrational states the excitation is primarily determined by the laser fluence.     

Laser induced fluorescence study of vibration-vibration equilibration in CH3Cl and CH3ClX mixtures

The infrared fluorescence risetimes of the ν₃ CCl stretching mode of CH₃Cl have been measured in CH₃Cl—raregas mixtures subsequent to laser pumping of the ν₆ methyl deformation vibration with a Q-switched CO₂ laser. The rate of rise of this fluorescence was found to be 80 ± 8 msec^?1/torr in pure CH₃Cl as reported earlier. The effect of rare gases on this process was found to be in reasonable agreement with SSH type theoretical calculations as well as similar trends in other VV processes.     

Vibrational relaxation of highly excited molecules: VV transfer from SF6 to N2O

Vibrational energy transfer from SF₆ to N₂O was studied as a function of SF₆ vibrational energy. The intensity, rise time and decay time of N₂O fluorescence increased monotonically with the level of donor excitation. The observations are consistent with a mechanism that is not mode specific, with donor VT relaxation faster than intermolecular VV transfer.     

Temperature dependence of the vibration-vibration transfer rates from CO2 and N2O excited in the (0001) vibrational level to 14N2 and 15N2 molecules

V-V transfer rates from CO₂ and N₂O excited in the (00⁰1) vibrational level to ¹⁴N₂ and ¹⁵N₂ are determined from 150 to 1200 K using the laser fluorescence method, and compared with values calculated on the basis of dipole-quadrupole interactions.     

Rate constants for the deactivation of the 15 μm band of carbon dioxide by the collision partners CH3F,CO2, N2, Ar and Kr over the temperature range 300 to 150 K

Rate constants have been measured for the vibrational deactivation of the 15 μm band of CO₂ in the temperature range 300 to 150 K by the collision partners CH₃F, CO₂, N₂, Ar and Kr. The CO₂ was vibrationally excited by (VV) transfer from CH₃F which had been pumped with a CO₂ laser and its deactivation monitored using IR fluorescence.