TIME RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY OF XENON EXCIMERS EXCITED BY SYNCHROTRON RADIATION

Formation and decay rates of the lowest 0u+ and 1u states of Xe2*, excited by monochromatized synchrotron radiation from the Stanford storage ring (SPEAR), have been measured in pure xenon and in xenon-argon mixtures over the pressure range 10 2 to 104 Torr. The results are interpreted to yield radiative lifetimes (4.6±0.3 and 99±2 nsec, respectively, for vibrationally relaxed 0u+ and 1u molecules), vibrational relaxation rates [7×10-11 and 6×10 -12 cm3/sec for Xe2*(1u) in collisions with xenon and argon, respectively], the Xe2*(0 u+) three-body formation rate from Xe(3P 1)(5.3×10-32 cm3/sec), and rates for 0u+-1u mixing by collisions with xenon and argon. © 1980 American Institute of Physics.