STUDY OF THE REACTION OF OXYGEN-ATOMS WITH VIBRATIONALLY EXCITED OZONE MOLECULES

The exothermal reaction O + O3 - 2O2 is found to be accelerated when ozone molecule vibrations are excited by cw CO2 laser emission when PAr = 3 Torr, T = 300 K in a 0.8 cm i.d. vessel. With a laser irradiation intensity of ≈15 W/cm2 this acceleration made up ≈40% as compared with the equilibrium reaction. Vibrational relaxation of ozone molecules is studied by the method of saturated absorption. The relaxation time of population difference for (000) and (001) levels, T1 = (3.8 ± 1.7) × 10-4 s, and the transversal relaxation time, T2 ≈4 × 10-8 s Torr/P, are measured. T1 is found to be practically independent of pressure at P = 1-15 Torr. © 1979.