THE S(1D)+N2 QUENCHING PROCESS - DETERMINATION OF BRANCHING RATIOS TO TRIPLET FINE-STRUCTURE PRODUCTS

The quenching by N2 of S(1D) to the S(3P2), S(3P1), and S(3P0) levels has been investigated by using tunable vacuum-ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence to probe the initial and final levels following creation of S(1D) by pulsed 222-nm photolysis of OCS. The total quenching rate is (7.1 +/- 1.0) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule-1 s-1, while the branching ratios were found to be 0.143 +/- 0.006 for 3P0, 0.085 +/- 0.012 for 3P1, and 0.77 +/- 0.02 for 3P2. The total rate is in good agreement with previous measurements. The branching ratios contrast to the inverted distribution found by Stout, Andrews, Bevilacqua, and Weisman for quenching of S(D1) by argon [Chem. Phys. Lett. 1988, 151, 156].