Comparison of the Rg+(2P1/2)/Cl−/He and Rg+(2P3/2)/Cl−/He three-body ionic-recombination reactions for the formation of RgCl*, Rg*, and Cl*

Abstract

Three-body ionic-recombination reactions of Rg++Cl−+He (Rg=Kr or Xe) leading to RgCl* excimers and their predissociation products (Rg* and Cl*) have been studied by observing emission spectra in the flowing afterglow. The branching ratios of KrCl(B,C,D):Kr(5s 3P1):Cl(4p) are 0.13:0.014:0.86 in the Kr+(2P1/2) reaction, while those of KrCl(B,C):Kr(5s 3P1):Cl(4s) are 0.64:0.23:0.13 in the Kr+(2P3/2) reaction. Although the Xe+(2P1/2) reaction gives only XeCl(D), the Xe+(2P3/2) reaction provides XeCl(B,C) and Xe(3P1) with branching ratios of 0.98:0.02, respectively. The preferential formation of the Rg(3P1) level by the Rg+(2P3/2) reaction can be explained as being due to the conservation of ion configuration with J=3/2. The electronic state distribution of Cl(4p) in the Kr+(2P1/2) reaction is nonstatistical providing any preference for doublet, quartet, or for particular J states, while the J=3/2 levels of Cl(4s) are favored channels relative to the J=1/2 and 5/2 ones in the Kr+(2P3/2) reaction. It is predicted that the dominant predissociation product in the Xe+(2P1/2) reaction is the metastable Xe(3P0) atom.