Spectroscopic and kinetic analysis of the VUV emissions of argon and argon-xenon mixtures. II. Energy transfer in Ar-Xe mixtures

Abstract

For pt.I see ibid., vol.15, p.2935 (1982). Spectroscopic and kinetic study of ultraviolet emissions from argon-xenon mixtures brings to light very large energy transfers from argon and xenon. When small amounts of xenon (a few ppm) are added to argon, the argon continua disappear and simultaneously Xe resonance lines can be seen. At higher Xe concentrations (of the order of a few per cent), the spectra of mixtures are similar to those obtained in pure xenon. Kinetic analysis of the main VUV emissions of the two gases allows a complete kinetic scheme of the transfer phenomena to be established. Excited radiative xenon states are created from Ar2* molecules and atomic precursor states. The 1P1 state of xenon is excited by two-body collisions with the excimer Ar2*(3 Sigma u+) which is responsible for the second argon continuum (k=1.5*107 Torr-1 s-1). The transfer is also observed from the Ar*(3P1) state towards highly excited xenon levels (configuration 5f) (k=2.4*107 Torr-1 s-1). Both these paths lead, directly or indirectly, to the production of the 3P1 and 3P2 states of xenon which, through three-body heteronuclear collisions, are involved in the formation of the radiative Xe2* states responsible for the emission of the second continuum at 173 nm. The lifetime of this state, tau =106 ns, is not modified by the presence of argon.