Average vibrational energy transfer during a single collision of excited molecules with heat-bath molecules

Abstract

A collisional energy-transfer probability of the form [graphic omitted] is assumed where B(E) is the Boltzmann distribution and ΔE is the incremental energy transferred and which can display negative as well as positive values. Single collisions between vibrationally excited substrate molecules with heat-bath molecules are considered. The dependence of the average energy per collision transferred up, down and overall on the initial energy content, on the temperature and on the size of the bath and substrate molecules is calculated and compared with experimental data in the literature.