The study of energy transfer by kinetic spectroscopy I. The production of vibrationally excited oxygen
The flash photolysis of chlorine dioxide or of nitrogen dioxide in a great excess of inert gasyields oxygen molecules in their electronic ground states with up to eight quanta of vibrational energy. By a study of the reaction kinetics of the two systems, it is concluded that these excited molecules have their origin in the reactions O + NO 2 = NO + O 2 and O + CIO 2 = CIO + O 2 respectively. Thus, for the first time we have available a very convenient method of studying the collisional transfer and degradation of vibrational energy from molecules in the higher vibrational levels of the ground state and some preliminary measurements of the efficiency of deactivation by various molecules are given. It is concluded that the energy is removed most readily either when there is near resonance of the vibrational levels with those of the oxygen, or by free radicals. Some of the reactions of the chlorine oxides present are also discussed.