Vibrational excitation of ozone formed by recombination

Abstract

A new facility coupling flash photolysis and time resolved ir detection and uv absorption diagnostics is described. Its application to studying the reaction O+O2+M→ lim (1) O3†+M followed by O3†+M→ lim (2)O3+M with M=O2 or N2 and where O3† denotes vibrationally excited ozone is described. Our results give k1=3×10−34 cm6 sec−1, k2=2×10−14 cm3 sec−1, φ(ν1)+φ(ν3)=1.6, and φ(ν2)=3.7, where φ(νi) is the average number of quanta of energy νi, resulting in mode νi from each recombination (ν1,2,3=1103, 701, 1042 cm−1). This partitioning of the product energy accounts for 50% of the 25 kcal exothermicity of the recombination. These results are peculiar to the model used for interpretation, which is discussed in some detail in the text.