Impact of the Vibrationally Excited States on the Macroscopic Behaviour of the Band-like Electron Beam Discharge Plasma in H/H2-Mixture

The investigation of the impact of the vibrationally excited molecules in the electronic ground state was performed by simultaneously solving a balance equation system for the main charge carriers, the H atoms, the metastable H atoms, the H₂ molecules in the different vibrational states and for the power transfer of the electrons in the beam discharge mixture plasma. The balance equations for the vibrational states include in particular one-quantum step excitation and deexcitation, electronic excitation, dissociation and ionization from each vibrational level in electron collisions as well as the finite life time of these states because of the gas transfer through the band-like plasma. A main finding is that due to the additional impact of vibrationally excited molecules there is a marked enhancement of the resulting dissociation and ionization degree in the beam discharge plasma at medium power input from the turbulent electric field. For discharge parameters of practical interest the ionization and dissociation budget, the population of the vibrational states, the different energy dissipation processes and the energy pumping into the ladder of the vibrational states were calculated and discussed in detail.     

State-to-state dissociation–recombination and chemical exchange rate coefficients in excited diatomic gas flows

In this paper, simple analytical state-to-state rate coefficients for the dissociation–recombination and chemical exchange reactions are presented on the basis of kinetic theory in nonequilibrium excited diatomic gases. They take into account the excited vibrational and electronic states of the chemical species and are expressed according to the preferential character of the chemical reactions. Evolution of these rate coefficients varying according to the translational temperature, bringing into play molecules CO and C₂, are discussed.     

Experimental investigation of ultracold atom-molecule collisions

Ultracold collisions between Cs atoms and Cs2 dimers in the electronic ground state are observed in an optically trapped gas of atoms and molecules. The Cs2 molecules are formed in the triplet ground state by cw photoassociation through the outer well of the 0-(g) (P3/2) excited electronic state. Inelastic atom-molecule collisions converting internal excitation into kinetic energy lead to a loss of Cs2 molecules from the dipole trap. Rate coefficients are determined for collisions involving Cs atoms in either the F=3 or F=4 hyperfine ground state, and Cs2 molecules in either highly vibrationally excited states (nu'=32-47) or in low vibrational states (nu'=4-6) of the a3 summation(u)+ triplet ground state. The rate coefficients beta approximately 10(-10) cm3/s are found to be largely independent of the vibrational and rotational excitation indicating unitary limited cross sections.     

Non Equilibrium Vibrational Population and Dissociation Rates of Oxygen in Electrical Discharges: The Role of Atoms and of the Recombination Process

The influence of oxygen atoms on the population densities of vibrational levels of molecular oxygen has been studied for discharge conditions in which the atoms come 1) from electronic transitions to Herzberg and Schumann systems 2) from the pure vibrational mechanism (PVM) discussed in Chem. Phys. 30 (1978) 95. In the first case the atoms deactivate the first vibrational levels of O₂, thus reducing the vibrational temperature and the propagation of the introduced vibrational quanta by V — V exchanges. Under these conditions PVM disappears. An assisted recombination dissociation mechanism, however, holds in these conditions, due to the recombination process which induces a strong disequilibrium on the levels near to the dissociation continuum. These levels can redissociate by collisions with heavy particles. The results of pure vibrational mechanism in the presence of atoms are very similar to those discussed in our previous work. The production of oxygen atoms self adjusts to small values due to the increased importance of V — T deactivation by oxygen atoms.     

Mikrophysikalische Bestimmung elektronenkinetischer Kenngrößen im binären Molekül-Mischplasma von Stickstoff und Wasserstoff. II. Elektronenstoßfrequenzen für die Anregung und Ionisierung langlebiger elektronischer Molekülzustände und die Energieverlustraten der Elektronenkomponente des Mischplasmas

In this second part of the in [l] started paper the results of microphysical determined collision frequencies of the electrons for the excitation and ionization of metastable molecules, excited in electronic states, and of the energy loss rates of the electrons due to elastic collisions, vibrational excitation, electronic excitation, dissociation and ionization of the molecules in a N₂ - H₂ -plasma are represented and discussed. These investigations are related to a low ionized, homogeneous and stationary plasma in a mixture and are performed for the range 6- 100 V/(cm Torr) of the reduced electric field strength and for any composition of the N₂ - H₂-mixture.     

Collisional and radiative processes with participation of highly excited states of atoms and molecules

A number of processes in which highly excited states of atoms and molecules participate are investigated. These processes are of interest for the kinetics of a low-temperature plasma, for atomic and molecular spectroscopy, and for astrophysics. A quasiclassical theory is developed for transitions between Rydberg states with change of the principal quantum number, and also for the processes of direct and associative ionization of highly excited atoms, which result from collisions between a neutral particle and its atomic core. The state of the inner electrons of a quasimolecular (molecular) ion is not altered by transitions of the outer electrons. Specific calculations are carried out for the case of the collision of hydrogen H(n) with helium He (1s²) atoms. It is shown that the cross sections and the rate constants of these processes are determined in this case by the mechanism investigated in the paper, and not by scattering of the Rydberg electron by the neutral particle. The cross sections for dipole excitation and dissociation of molecular ions from high vibrational energy levels by electron impact is calculated in the Born-Coulomb approximation. The cross sections and the rates of dissociative and three-particle attachment of electrons to ions are determined. The processes of autoionization and autodissociation decay of Rydberg states of vibrationally excited molecules are determined. Also investigated are radiative transitions near the dissociation limit of diatomic molecular ions and neutral molecules, viz., photodissociation and radiative decay of high vibrational levels, and photodissociation and translational (inverse-bremsstrahlung) absorption in collision of atomic particles.Translated from Trudy Ordena Lenina Fizicheskogo Instituta im. P. Lebedeva AN SSSR, Vol. 145, pp. 80–130, 1984.     

The Measurement of Current Column Plasma Parameters in the Glow Discharge at Increased Pressure

Results of the probe and thermocouple measurements of the constricted stationary glow dis charge in nitrogen and air at pressures up to 60 Torr are given. It was shown that the main energy processes in the column are the heating of the gas and its vibrational excitation. The balance of charged particles is determined by the electron-ion recombination and the stepwise ionization through metastable levels of nitrogen molecules. The results obtained can be used in the numerical simulation of a moving filament during the current constriction in the glow discharge.     

Kinetics of CO Molecules Taking into Account Resonant VE Exchanges in a Nonequilibrium Nozzle Flow

The kinetics of CO molecules with excited electronic levels for a nonequilibrium flow in nozzles is studied. Three electronic energy levels are taken into account; the VV exchanges of the vibrational energy within each electronic energy level, VT transitions from the vibrational energy to the translational energy, and VE exchanges between the vibrational energy and the electronic terms occur in the system. The system of equations of vibrational level kinetics and gasdynamics, which is written in the zeroth approximation of the Chapman–Enskog method, is solved numerically. Special attention is paid to estimating the effect of the VE exchanges of the vibrational energy on the formation of nonequilibrium populations of the vibrational levels. It is shown that resonant VE transitions considerably affect the relaxation process and noticeably change the population of the upper vibrational levels even in the absence of recombination and dissociation processes; VE exchanges also affect the time dependence of the vibrational temperature.     

Electron Energy Distribution Functions in CO2 Laser Mixture: The Effects of Second Kind Collisions from Metastable Electronic States

Electron energy distribution functions (eedf) in CO₂ laser discharge (He—CO₂—N₂—CO mixture) have been calculated by solving the Boltzmann equation in the presence of given concentrations of excited (vibrational and electronic) states. The results show a well structured eedf as a result of second kind collisions coming from metastable electronic states of N₂ and He as well as a strong dependence of rate coefficients for CO₂ dissociation and for the ionization of the different species.     

Na2分子部分电子态的完全振动能谱和离解能的精确研究

对于大多数双原子分子的电子态，用现代实验方法或精确的量子理论方法往往可以获得含m个振动能级的能谱子集合［Ev］，而不易得到包含最高振动能级在内的所有高振动量子态能级的完全振动能谱{Ev}.鉴于Na2分子电子态的振动能谱和分子离解能De在实际研究和应用中的重要性，使用基于微扰理论的代数方法（AM），获得了Na2分子一些电子态的振动光谱常数和完全振动能谱；使用基于AM的代数能量方法（AEM）获得了这些电子态的正确离解能.研究结果表明：AM方法能从少数精确的实验能级获得精确的分子振动光谱常数集合和正确的完全振动能谱{Ev}，AEM方法获得的分子离解能比由文献发表的振动光谱常数计算得到的近似离解能值更准确，对于难以获得分子离解能的那些电子激发态，AEM方法能给出合理的离解能数据. 关键词： Na2分子 代数方法 振动能级 离解能 电子激发态     

Reactions of excited atoms and molecules with atoms and molecules

Ionizing collisions of long lived excited particles with atoms and molecules are studied by a cross beam technique. For the first time reactions of atoms in high Rydberg states are included in the investigation. In this paper we report relative cross sections for the production of the ions RH⁺, RH ₂ ⁺ , and H ₂ ⁺ by collisions of excited rare gas atoms R^* with H₂. With HD as the target molecule the isotope effect for the production of RD⁺ and RH⁺ has been determined. In the case of argon and krypton, ions are produced only by the high Rydberg states, whereas in the case of helium and neon only the metastable states contribute to a measurable extent. The data indicate, that the reaction mechanism is different in principle for metastable and highly excited atoms. Simple models are proposed to explain the experimental results.     

Selfconsistent Electron Energy Distribution Functions in Non Equilibrium oxygen: Effects on the Dissociation Rate

Electron energy distribution functions (edf) in non equilibrium oxygen have been calculated by solving the Boltzmann equation coupled to a system of vibrational master equations. The results show the importance of both superelastic vibrational collisions and of the presence of oxygen atoms in affecting edf. The coupling between the Boltzmann equation and the system of vibrational master equations brings to a temporal evolution of edf, which progressively changes from a cold molecular gas situation (all molecules in the ground vibrational level) to a vibrationally excited molecular gas and finally to a gas composed by oxygen molecules and oxygen atoms. All electronic rate coefficients follow a temporal evolution. due to the corresponding evolution of edf. Finally the present results are used for discussing the dissociation rate of molecular oxygen in electrical discharges.     

Formation of ultracold RbCs molecules by photoassociation

The formation of ultracold metastable RbCs molecules is observed in a double species magneto-optical trap through photoassociation below the ⁸⁵Rb(5S_1/2) + ¹³³Cs(6P_3/2) dissociation limit followed by spontaneous emission. The molecules are detected by resonance enhanced two-photon ionization. Using accurate quantum chemistry calculations of the potential energy curves and transition dipole moment, we interpret the observed photoassociation process as occurring at short internuclear distance, in contrast with most previous cold atom photoassociation studies. The vibrational levels excited by photoassociation belong to the 5th 0⁺ or the 4th 0^? electronic states correlated to the Rb(5P_{1/2, 3/2}) + Cs(6S_1/2) dissociation limit. The computed vibrational distribution of the produced molecules shows that they are stabilized in deeply bound vibrational states of the lowest triplet state. We also predict that a noticeable fraction of molecules is produced in the lowest level of the electronic ground state.     

Efficient non-resonant intermolecular vibrational energy transfer

Molecular excited vibrational states are metastable states and we incorporate their finite lifetimes into the theory of vibrational energy transfer between weakly interacting molecules, i.e., at internuclear distances at which they do not have a chemical bond. Expressions for the effective lifetime of an initially vibrationally excited molecule in the presence of a neighbouring molecule are derived in closed form. These expressions allow one to analyse the physics behind the energy transfer. It is shown that due to different finite lifetimes of the isolated excited molecules, a very efficient vibrational energy transfer can take place between them even if their energies are rather off-resonance. Examples are discussed.     

The quenching of Pb(6p 2 1 D 2) atoms in collisions with molecules

The collisions of metastable Pb(6p ^{2 1} D ₂) atoms with various molecules were studied by the diagnostics of radiation from a hollow cathode lamp and a laser on lead vapor. Experiments were performed for a gas flow of lead atoms with argon. The Pb(6p ^{2 1} D ₂) states were excited in a gas discharge in the presence of reagent gas molecules. The absolute rate constants for the quenching and chemical reactions of lead atoms in the ground and excited states were determined. The quantum efficiency of chemical reactions was close to one for the N₂O, CH₂Cl₂, SF₆, and CuBr molecules. Long-lived chemical compounds were formed in these reactions.     

Effect of electrons of the multiply charged ion core on single-electron capture

The population of various electronic states of particles that arise during the capture of a single electron in hydrogen and helium atoms, as well as hydrogen molecules, by Ar³⁺ and Ne³⁺ ions with an energy of several kiloelectronvolts was studied by collision spectroscopy, viz., precision analysis of kinetic energy variation for ions formed as a result of interaction between ions and atoms. It is shown that single-electron capture in many cases is a multielectron process accompanied by the rearrangement of a multiply charged ion core. It is found that the triply charged Ne³⁺ ions formed as a result of ionization of Ne atoms by electron impacts are formed mainly in metastable states. The population of excited states of particles during their multiple ionization should be taken into account in determining the characteristics of various particles by the appearance potential method. Collision spectroscopy can be used for analyzing the metastable ion impurities in ionic beams.     

Relaxation Processes at High Levels of Vibrational Excitation of Polyatomic Molecules in the Ground Electronic State

By the spectral and kinetic characteristics of the luminescence of vapors of polyatomic molecules (anthracene, anthraquinone, fluorenone) initiated by selective IR multiphoton excitation (IR MPE) of molecules in the ground electronic state S ₀ the relaxation processes proceeding under vibrational excitation of molecules to energies exceeding the energies of the lower excited electronic states have been investigated. The changes in the spectral and kinetic characteristics with increasing CO₂ laser energy density and vapor P _v and foreign gas pressure P _FG are analyzed. They are similar to the characteristics obtained for normal fluorescence of these molecules with changing vibrational energy E _vib content. On the basis of experimental data and model calculations it has been concluded that at the laser radiation densities used in the case of IR MPE the molecules reach energies considerably exceeding the energies of the electronic levels. It is shown that a nonadiabatic connection between the electronic states leads to the population of mixed electronic states isoenergetic to the vibrational levels of the ground electronic state and to emission of delayed luminescence spectrally identical to the normal luminescence of these molecules. It has been found that when high vibrational levels are populated, new relaxation channels, such as reverse electron relaxation, emission from high vibrational levels of the ground electronic state, and multiquantum vibrational energy transfer at collisions leading to a rapid establishment of vibrational equilibrium become important.     

N_2(B~3Ⅱ_g)高振动态在Xe原子中的碰撞激发和弛豫

在用双光子激发产生的Xe(5p~56p)原子与N_2分子碰撞过程中,有效地生成了N_2(B~3П_g,v=9～14)振动激发态.观察到相应的Δv=4的N_2(B~3П_g-A~3∑_u~+)辐射跃迁萤光,测量了Xe(6p)原子在N_2中的淬灭速率常数,对碰撞弛豫过程进行了讨论.     

Analysis of the production and clusterization of iron atoms under pulsed laser photolysis of Fe(CO)5

Atomic-resonance absorption spectroscopy is used to study the production and loss of iron atoms under dissociation of the Fe(CO)₅ vapor in a quartz reactor that is induced by the pulses of the KrF excimer laser. Iron atoms populate the ground state owing to the quenching of the excited states generated in the course of the laser photolysis and are detected using the resonance absorption at a wavelength of 385.99 nm. The effective quenching rates are in good agreement with the known rates of the quenching of metastable iron atoms by the Fe(CO)₅ molecules. It is demonstrated that a loss of iron atoms is related to the recombination with dimer and trimer formation and the secondary atomic reactions with the Fe(CO)₅, CO, and FeCO molecules. The rates of the main elementary reactions responsible for the loss of iron atoms are determined using the comparison of the experimental results and kinetic simulation data.