STATE-TO-STATE OZONE RELAXATION RATES FOR O-3-N-2 COLLISIONS

State-to-state relaxation rates have been determined for ozone in collisions with itself and with nitrogen by two different methods. A theoretical model of collisional broadening of ozone lines, the quantum Fourier transform theory with improved dynamics, was adapted to compute state-to-state inelastic contributions to the pressure-broadened halfwidths for ozone-nitrogen collisions. These quantities were then determined experimentally using time-resolved infrared double resonance spectroscopy and a kinetic model for relaxation. Comparisons of kinetic model simulations and experimental double-resonance signals confirmed a propensity for first-order dipolar transitions, but also clearly demonstrated the importance of higher-order interactions leading to large changes in J in single collisions. Simple energy and angular-momentum-scaling laws were found to be inadequate to represent the experimental data.