Gas-phase collision dynamics by means of pulse-radiolysis methods

Abstract

After a brief survey of recent advances in gas-phase collision dynamics studies using pulse radiolysis methods, the following two topics in our research programs are presented with emphasis on the superior advantages of the pulse radiolysis methods over the various methods of gas-phase collision dynamics, such as beam methods, swarm methods and flow methods. One of the topics is electron attachment to van der Waals molecules. The attachment rates of thermal electrons to O 2 and other molecules in dense gases have been measured in wide ranges of both gas temperatures and pressures, from which experimental evidence has been obtained for electron attachment to van der Waals molecules. The results have been compared with theories and discussed in terms of the effect of van der Waals interaction on the electron attachment resonance. The obtained conclusions have been related with investigations of electron attachment, solvation and localization in the condensed phase. The other is Penning ionization and its related processes. The rate constants for the de-excitation of He(2 1P), He(2 3S), Ne( 3P 0), Ne( 3P 1), Ne( 3P 2), Ar( 1P 1), Ar( 3P 1), by atoms and molecules have been measured in the temperature range from 100 to 300 K, thus obtaining the collisional energy dependence of the de-excitation cross sections. The results are compared in detail with theories classified according to the excited rare gas atoms in the metastable and resonance states.