HIGH-RESOLUTION STUDY OF THE LUMINESCENT ELECTRONIC-ENERGY TRANSFER-REACTION OF XE(P-3(0,2)) WITH N-14(2) AND N-15(2)

The excitation of nitrogen molecules into the B PI3g state by collisional energy transfer from Xe* (P-3(0) and P-3(2)) was studied in a Xe* beam/N2 gas cell arrangement for the isotopic targets N-15(2) and N-14(2) under single collision conditions. Using a sophisticated CCD detector, high-resolution spectra of the N2(B-A) emission bands were recorded. Earlier results on N-14(2) could be considerably extended and improved in accuracy. They were also revised in certain details. The N-15(2) spectra exhibit dramatic isotope effects, both as regards the vibrational distribution and the rotational population of the products. These results are rationalized in terms of isotopic shifts of the vibronic semi-empirical interaction potentials [V. Aquilanti, R. Candori, F. Pirani, T. Krumpelmann and Ch. Ottinger, Chem. Phys. 142 (1990) 47].