RELAXATION OF LOCAL MODES OF VIBRATIONALLY-HOT MOLECULES IN COLD ENVIRONMENTS - ANHARMONICITY AND CONDENSED PHASE EFFECTS

We provide a description of the relaxation of vibrationally-hot molecules in cold environments. The molecule has active CH local modes interacting with an inactive reservoir of modes. It is shown that the anharmonicity of these local modes and the intermolecular effects can conspire to make the relationship between the linewidth of the overtone and the intramolecular decay time nonstraightforward, especially at high energies. © 1979.