The absolute cross sections for the quenching of cadmium 5 3P1 and 5 3P0 atoms by carbon monoxide,carbon dioxide and nitric oxide

Absolute cross sections for the quenching of Cd(5 ³P₁ and Cd(5 ³P₀) by carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitric oxide have been determined by a phase-shift method. It was found that carbon monoxide deactivates the Cd³P₁) atoms not only to the ground state, Cd(¹S₀), but also to the metastable state, Cd(³P₀), and that the cross section for the latter process is ten times larger than that for the former one. On the contrary, carbon dioxide quenches Cd(³P₁) atoms to the ¹S₀ state without producing Cd(³P₀) atoms. The quenching efficiency by nitric oxide was considerably large compared with those of carbon mono- and di-oxides. These quenching cross sections were compared with those of other excited metal atom states.