Interpretation of the oscillatory spectra of the inert-gas halides

Abstract

Oscillatory spectra of chemiluminescence by diatomic fluorides, chlorides, and bromides of argon, krypton, and xenon are interpreted as bound-free transitions from a group of highly excited vibrational levels of an excited electronic state. Using approximate potential curves and a semiclassical analysis, dissociation energies and vibration frequencies for the excited states are derived and compared with data for ground-state alkali halides. Information on the dynamics of the reactions of metastable inert gas atoms complements that obtained from molecular-beam studies of alkali atoms.