Photochemical production of XeCl(B) initiated by two-photon excitation of Xe and Xe2

Abstract

The excited state of xenon chloride, XeCl(B), has been prodcued in gas‐phase mixtures of Xe and Cl2 by reactions initiated by the two‐photon excitation of atomic xenon and xenon dimers in the wavelength region 246.5 to 258 nm. Studies of the time dependence of the emission from XeCl(B) reveal that the two‐photon excitation of xenon atoms at low laser intensities produces excited Xe atoms which react with Cl2 to produce XeCl(B). Production of XeCl(B) initiated by two‐photon excitation of xenon dimers, Xe2, proceeds by a mechanism involving ionic species. At the laser intensities required for the excitation of two‐photon transitions in Xe2, two‐photon absorption is followed by absorption of a third photon ionizing either the excited Xe2 or an excited Xe atom produced by predissociation of excited Xe2.