Quenching of the 2537-Å Resonance Radiation of Mercury

Abstract

Cross sections for the quenching of the 2537-Å resonance radiation of mercury have been obtained by direct measurement of the resonance fluorescent intensities in an improved Zemansky-type apparatus. The data were evaluated on the basis of Zemansky's calculation (a) of the imprisonment time from Milne's theory, as well as using Holstein's experimentally verified formula (b) for the imprisonment decay constant, developed on modern imprisonment theory. The cross section values derived by (a) with the Samson ``equivalent opacity,'' by (b), and those obtained by Biberman from a numerical solution of the Holstein—Biberman transport equation all agree within 23%. The trend observed in the measured cross section values of a number of substances including paraffins, olefins, silane and methyl silanes, alcohols, N2O, and some other inorganic molecules provides further evidence for the electrophilic character of Hg 6(3P1) atoms.