Analytic solution of relaxation and dissociation of ozone and sulphur dioxide at low pressures

Abstract

The analytic solution of vibrational relaxation in a low-pressure gas is applied to the thermal dissociation of O3 in helium and of SO2 in argon. Use is made of experimental relaxation times to obtain average energy lost per collision. Calculated weak-collision rate constants are in very good agreement with experiment in the case of SO2, but only in fair agreement in the case of ozone. Several curious aspects of the ozone system, both experimental and theoretical, are discussed.