Deactivation of Hg(3P2) in crossed molecular beams

Abstract

Experimental studies of electronic energy transfer in collisions of metastable Hg(3P2) with molecules are reported. Product molecules were detected by spectrally resolved light emission from the region of intersection of crossed molecular beams. In the case of NO scattering, emission was observed from the A 2Σ+ and B 2Π states of NO, as well as from the 3P1 state of Hg. The collision energy dependence of these processes, and for formation of Hg(3P1) in collisions with N2, CO, H2, D2, O2, CO2, NH3, CH4, and C2H6, was studied in the range 2–9 kcal/mole. The initial energy dependence and final state distribution (for NO scattering) are shown to be highly nonstatistical. The simple functional form σ∼1−V (Rc)/E is found to be adequate for fitting the collision energy dependence of many of the systems.