Temperature dependence of vibrational relaxation of N2 by O2 in liquid N2 along the coexistence curve

Abstract

The temperature dependence of vibrational relaxation rates of N2(υ=1) by O2 in liquid N2 has been studied at several temperatures along the coexistence curve between 80 and 120 K. A small amount of CO was added to the N2–O2 mixture as a pump and a probe. A CO laser was used to excite CO in solution and its fluorescence was monitored to obtain the rate of vibrational energy transfer. The liquid-phase rate constants kl were compared with the gas-phase constants kg at the same temperatures and found to be essentially equal. This result is in reasonable agreement with the predictions of the isolated binary collision model.