Initial distribution of vibration of the OH radicals produced in the H + O 3 → OH(X 2Π 1/2,3/2) + O 2 reaction. Chemiluminescence by a crossed beam technique

Abstract

The chemiluminescence in the H + O 3 → OH(X 2Π 1/2,3/2) + O 2 reaction was observed using a crossed beam technique. The initial population of the OH radicals in the vibrational state v (4 ⩽ v ⩽ 9) were found to be N(9) = 1.0, N(8) = 0.95 ± 0.1, N(7) = 0.9 ± 0.2, N(6) = 0.2 ± 0.1 and N(5) = N(4) = 0.2 ± 0.2. The total cross section of the formation of OH(4 ⩽ v ⩽ 9) was estimated to be of the order of 10 −2 nm 2. No chemiluminescence was observed in the reaction D + O 3 → OD(X 2Π 1/2,3/2) + O 2 under the present experimental conditions.