ENERGY-TRANSFER IN COLLISIONS OF AR(P-3-0,2) METASTABLE ATOMS WITH H(S-2) ATOMS .1. TOTAL RATE CONSTANT AND MECHANISM

The Ar(4s,3P2) + H(1S,2S) reaction, which gives excited H(n=2) atoms, has been studied. The room temperature rate constant for Lyman-α (2p-1s) excitation was measured as 2.4 × 10-10 cm3 mol-1 s-1. The method was based upon comparison of the Lyman-α emission intensity with the Kr resonance emission intensity produced from Ar(3P2) + Kr, which has a known rate constant. The H atom excitation, which has a large energy defect of 1.3 eV, is discussed in terms of a curve crossing mechanism. © 1978.