Energy disposal in electronically excited halogens and oxygen

Collisional quenching of electronically excited iodine atoms by molecular oxygen has been investigated. The primary mechanism of the I(2P1/2) deactivation is shown to be an electronic-to-electronic energy transfer process between the iodine and oxygen, creating electronically excited 02 (1 delta g). In another experiment the total rate of deactivation of 02(1 sigma) by C02 was found to be 5.0 x 10 to the minus 13th power cc3/molecule delta. Electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer from I*(5 2P1/2) to I2 (25 v less than 43) has been observed. Roughly 2% of the I* deactivation result in I2 (v=40) by argon, helium, and I2 at room temperature are (7.3 + or - 0.3) x 100,000 sec -1/torr, (1.0 + or - 0.2) x 1,000,000 6/sec/torr and (1.8 +or- 0.4) x 1,000,000 6/sec -1/torr, respectively. These results in the chemical implications for the mechanism of I2 dissociation in the chemical oxygen/iodine laser. A chain branching mechanism consisting of the steps I* + I2 yield I + I2 yield I + I2 (20 less than v less than 40), I2 (20 less than v less than 40) + O2 (I delta yield 21 + O2, and O2 (1 delta) + I yield O2 + I* may be responsible for the dissociation.