Inelastic collisions between excited alkali atoms and molecules. V. Sensitized fluorescence in mixtures of sodium with N2, H2, HD, and D2

Abstract

3 2P1/2 ↔ 3 2P3/2 excitation transfer in sodium, induced in inelastic collisions with ground-state N2, H2, HD, and D2 molecules, has been investigated in a series of sensitized fluorescence experiments. Mixtures of sodium vapor at a pressure of 5 × 10−7 Torr, and the gases, were irradiated with each NaD component in turn, and the fluorescence which contained both D components was monitored at right angles to the direction of the exciting beam. Measurements of the relative intensities of the NaD fluorescent components yielded the following collision cross sections for excitation transfer. For Na–N2 collisions: Q12(2P1/2 → P3/2) = 144 Å2, Q21(2P1,2 ← 2P3/2) = 76 Å2 for Na–H2 collisions: Q12 = 80 Å2, Q21 = 42 Å2. For Na–HD collisions: Q12 = 84 Å2, Q21 = 44 Å2. For Na–D2 collisions: Q12 = 98 Å2, Q21 = 52 Å2. The cross sections Q21 exhibit a slight resonance effect between the atomic and molecular rotational transitions.