CO(d 3Δi-a 3Πr, e 3Σ−-a 3Πr, a′ 3Σ+-a 3Πr) emissions resulting from the energy-transfer reaction between metastable Xe(3P2) atoms and CO at thermal energy

Abstract

The thermal-energy reaction of Xe(3P2) with CO under single-collision conditions results in observations of emissions from the endoergic d 3Δi (ν′ = 6, 7) and a′ 3Σ+ (ν′ = 11) states located 158–1190 cm−1 above the reactant Xe (3P2) level. The relative intensities of emissions from d (ν′= 6), d (ν′ = 7), and a′ (ν′ = 11) are evaluated to be 1.00, 0.12, and 0.72, respectively. A broader product-state distribution accompanied by an appearance of the e 3Σ−−a 3Πr transition in a separate experiment using a conventional flowing afterglow is interpreted as due to collisional relaxation. Possible relaxation processes are discussed in terms of Franck-Condon overlap and energy-gap law.