Preferential energy transfer from N 2(A) to specific energy levels of Cu atoms

Abstract

Emission spectra resulting from reaction of “clean” N 2(A 3 Σ u +) with copper atoms were studied using a flowing afterglow apparatus. The population distribution of the Cu states was calculated from the spectrum; it indicates that Cu atoms are excited by nearly resonant energy transfer processes. N 2(A, v') + Cu( 2S 1 2 ) → N 2(X, v) + Cu * , and that the transfer is most efficient for N 2(A, v') → N 2(X, v) transitions with large Franck-Condon factors. The preferential energy transfer results in population inversion between some of the Cu states.