The vibrational state distributions in both products of the reaction: O(3P) + NO2 → O2 + NO

Ian Smith, Richard P. Tuckett, Christopher J. Whitham

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A laser pulse-and-probe method has been used to determine the nascent vibrational populations in NO(v=0–4) and O2(v=6–11) formed in the thermal reaction: O(3P) + NO2 → O2(v) + NO(v). A frequency-tripled Nd: YAG laser is used to photolyse NO2, diluted tenfold in Ar, and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy in the NO A 2Σ+-X 2Π and O2 B 3Σ−u -X 3Σ−g electronic band system is used both to follow the kinetics of individual vibrational states and to determine the nascent vibrational distributions. The majority of the NO product is formed in v = 0 and the average vibrational yield is ≈ 4.6%. The O2 populations fall monotonically from v = 6 to 11 in a distribution close to what is expected on prior grounds. Based on a surprisal analysis, the average vibrational energy yield in O2 is ≈ 26%. The nature of the reaction dynamics is discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)615-623
JournalChemical Physics Letters
Volume200
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Dec 1992

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The vibrational state distributions in both products of the reaction: O(3P) + NO2 → O2 + NO'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this