Electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer reactions: Na(3 2P) + CO (X 1Σ +, υ=0)

Abstract

The vibrational distribution of CO produced from the electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer reaction: Na(3 2P) + CO(X 1Σ +, υ=0)→Na(3 2S) + CO(X 1Σ +, υ⩽8) has been determined by means of infrared resonance absorption measurements employing a cw CO laser. A flash-lamp-pumped dye laser is used to excite the ground state Na to the 3 2P 1 2 and 3 2P 3 2 states. The CO molecules formed in the reaction were found to be vibrationally excited up to the limits of available electronic energies carried by the excited Na atoms, and the vibrational population exhibits a maximum at υ=2. The efficiency of E→V energy transfer was determined to be 35%. Our present results were found to be consistent with the impulsive (half-collision) and curve-crossing models.