State-to-state reaction rates: Ba+HF(<i>v</i>=0,1) → BaF(<i>v</i>=0–12)+H

Abstract

The Ba+HF→BaF+H reaction has been studied under single-collision conditions as a function of the reagent and product vibration in order to obtain state-to-state reaction rates. Using a beam + gas arrangement, the HF is pumped by a pulsed HF laser and the BaF product distribution is determined from its laser-induced excitation spectrum. The BaF product is found to retain an average of 64% of the initial reactant vibrational excitation, and the distribution of product states for Ba+HF(v=1) has a broad maximum shifted to v=6 from the value v=1 for Ba+HF(v=0). The implications of these results on various proposed reaction surfaces are discussed.