Collisional relaxation of DF(<i>v</i>=1) and HF(<i>v</i>=1) by the DF dimer

Abstract

Overtone vibration-laser double resonance measurements determine the vibrational relaxation rates of DF(v=1) and HF(v=1) by the DF dimer. Both monomers are efficiently relaxed by the dimer at a rate that is 20% of the gas kinetic rate. The similarity of the rate constants for the two systems, which have very different energy defects, indicates that the relaxation occurs by collision complex formation and energy redistribution, rather than direct vibration-to-vibration energy transfer from the monomer to the dimer.