Radiative lifetime and collisional quenching kinetics for the XeF (<i>B</i>1/2) state

Abstract

A state-selective laser-induced-fluorescence technique has been used to determine the radiative lifetime and collisional quenching kinetics for the XeF (B 1/2) excited state. Ground state XeF molecules, formed by flash dissociating a mixture of UF6 and Xe diluted in He, are excited to the B state by 351 nm XeF laser pulse. The subsequent fluorescence decay of the v′=0 level is monitored at 353 nm using a spectrometer-fast photomultiplier combination. Collisional quenching rate coefficients for the collision partners He, Ne, Xe, F2, and NF3 are reported. Broadband fluorescence emission at 460 nm has also been observed and is interpreted to result from collisional transfer from the B to the C state of XeF.