THE FORMATION AND REACTIONS OF METASTABLE OXYGEN (1Σ+g) MOLECULES

Abstract

Abstract— The intensity of the (0, 0) (1Σ+g ‐ 3Σ‐g) emission band of oxygen near 7600Å (which system is observed also in the night air‐glow) has been used to investigate the formation and removal of 02 (1Σ+g) in the products of an r.f. discharge in dry oxygen at total pressures of 0.8–6 mm Hg and at 300†K. The concentration of O2(1Σ+g) was found to be about 10‐4mm Hg in a total pressure of 1 mm Hg. No change of concentration of O2(1Σ+g) withtime, nor with oxygen atom concentration (for the same discharge conditions), could be observed. The results show that considerable amounts of metastable O2(1Σ+g) molecules are formed within the discharge, and that virtually no formation of this species occurs by recombination of ground state oxygen atoms in the afterglow. 02(1Σ+g) may also be formed from other metastable species in the afterglow [such as O2(lΔg], if the rates of production and removal of O2(1Σ+g) are equal.Ozone removed O(1Σ+g), and simultaneously O(3P) atoms were formed, suggesting that the exothermic reaction 03+02(1Σ+g) = 0(3P)+202(3Σ‐g) is quite rapid.