Quenching of Mercury Resonance Radiation. IV. Unsaturated Compounds

Abstract

The cross sections for quenching mercury resonance radiation by a number of mono- and di-olefins, acetylenes, substituted olefins, and other compounds containing multiply bonded atoms have been measured. The quenching cross sections of mono-olefins increase with increasing molecular weight but not with increased branching of the carbon skeleton. The position of the double bond has little or no effect on the cross section. The substitution of fluorine for hydrogen decreases the cross section of olefins. The presence of a second double bond does not alter the cross section. The double bond is more effective when between two carbon atoms than when it is between two nitrogens or carbon and oxygen. The cross sections of acetylenes are essentially the same as those of the corresponding olefins but here the substitution of N for CH does not appear to alter the effective cross section.