CHEMILUMINESCENCE IN THE SYSTEM ATOMIC SODIUM PLUS ATOMIC HYDROGEN

Abstract

When atomic sodium is diffused into a mixture of atomic and molecular hydrogen, a weak chemiluminescence is observed in the gas phase. Visible emission consists of the sodium D lines. The total intensity of the emission, ~5 × 1011 photons/second, indicates that only one in 5 × 104 of the sodium atoms entering the reaction vessel is involved in luminescent reaction. In order to account for the rapid fall-off in intensity of the flame away from the nozzle it is necessary to suppose that some non-luminescent reaction is removing sodium atoms in the gas phase. Preliminary experiments suggest that the non-luminescent reaction is Na + H + H2 → NaH + H2, and the luminescent reaction either Na + Na + H → NaH + Na* with collision yield 4 × 10−3 or Na + H + H → H2 + Na* with collision yield 1 × 10−5.