Vibrational relaxation of excited oxygen, O2(1Δg), studied with a discharge-flow–shock-tube technique

Abstract

The vibrational relaxation time of O₂(¹Δ_g) in oxygen has been measured by observing the variation of dimol emission at 579 nm on shock heating the products from a flowing discharge in oxygen, in the temperature range 1000–1850 K. The results are similar to those obtained for ground-state oxygen, O₂(³∑^–_g), in previous studies.

While the change in emission in the pre-shock glow supports the earlier conclusions of Parker and Ritke concerning electronic deactivation of the v= 1 state, the results at high temperatures appear to support the conclusion of Collins and Husain on the predominance of V–V exchange.