Vibrational energy transfer in O2(X 3sigma(g)-, upsilon=2,3) + O2 collisions at 330 K

Energy exchange rate coefficients from vibrational inelastic O2(Σg-3) + O2(Σg-3) collisions on a new spin-averaged potential energy surface

A new spin-averaged potential energy surface (PES) for non-reactive O₂(Σg-3) + O₂(Σg-3) collisions is presented. The potential is formulated analytically according to the nature of the principal interaction components, with the main van der Waals contribution described through the improved Lennard-Jones model. All the parameters involved in the formulation, having a physical meaning, have been modulated in restricted variation ranges, exploiting a combined analysis of experimental and ab initio reference data. The new PES is shown to be able to reproduce a wealth of different physical properties, ranging from the second virial coefficients to transport properties (shear viscosity and thermal conductivity) and rate coefficients for inelastic scattering collisions. Rate coefficients for the vibrational inelastic processes of O₂, including both vibration-to-vibration (V-V) and vibration-to-translation/rotation (V-T/R) energy exchanges, were then calculated on this PES using a mixed quantum-classical method. The effective formulation of the potential and its combination with an efficient, yet accurate, nuclear dynamics treatment allowed for the determination of a large database of V-V and V-T/R energy transfer rate coefficients in a wide temperature range.

Model of Daytime Oxygen Emissions in the Mesopause Region and Above: A Review and New Results

Atmospheric emissions of atomic and molecular oxygen have been observed since the middle of 19th century. In the last decades, it has been shown that emissions of excited oxygen atom O(1D) and molecular oxygen in electronically–vibrationally excited states O2(b1Σ+g, v) and O2(a1Δg, v) are related by a unified photochemical mechanism in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The current paper consists of two parts: a review of studies related to the development of the model of ozone and molecular oxygen photodissociation in the daytime MLT and new results. In particular, the paper includes a detailed description of formation mechanism for excited oxygen components in the daytime MLT and presents comparison of widely used photochemical models. The paper also demonstrates new results such as new suggestions about possible products for collisional reactions of electronically–vibrationally excited oxygen molecules with atomic oxygen and new estimations of O2(b1Σ+g, v = 0–10) radiative lifetimes which are necessary for solving inverse problems in the lower thermosphere. Moreover, special attention is given to the “Barth’s mechanism” in order to demonstrate that for different sets of fitting coefficients its contribution to O2(b1Σ+g, v) and O2(a1Δg, v) population is neglectable in daytime conditions. In addition to the review and new results, possible applications of the daytime oxygen emissions are presented, e.g., the altitude profiles O(3P), O3 and CO2 can be retrieved by solving inverse photochemical problems when emissions from electronically vibrationally excited states of O2 molecule are used as proxies.

Laboratory Studies of Vibrational Excitation in O2( a1Δg, v) Involving O2, N2, and CO2

Collisional removal of electronic energy from O₂ in the low-lying a¹Δ_g state is typically an extremely slow process for the v = 0 level. In this study, we report results on the deactivation of O₂( a¹Δ_g, v = 1-3) in collisions with O₂ and CO₂. Ozone photodissociation in the 200-310 nm Hartley band is the source of O₂( a, v), and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization is used to probe the vibrational-level populations. Deactivation of the a( v = 1-3) levels in collisions with O₂ at 300 K is fast, with rate coefficients of (5.6 ± 1.1) × 10^-11, (3.6 ± 0.4) × 10^-11, and (1.9 ± 0.4) × 10^-11 cm³ s^-1 (2σ) for v = 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The relaxation process appears to involve a near-resonant electronic energy transfer pathway analogous to that observed in vibrationally excited O₂( b¹Σ_g⁺). With CO₂ collider gas, the removal rate coefficient at 300 K is (1.8 ± 0.4) × 10^-14 and (4.4 ± 0.6) × 10^-14 cm³ s^-1 (2σ) for v = 1 and 2, respectively. Despite the small mole fraction of O₂ in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus, O₂ is at least as important as CO₂ in the final stages of collisional relaxation within the O₂ vibrational-level manifold.

Vibrational relaxation of O2(X3Σ(-)g, v = 6-8) by collisions with O2(X3Σ(-)g, v = 0): solution of the problems in the integrated profiles method

The linear kinetic analysis called the integrated profiles method (IPM) makes it simple to analyze the multistep relaxation processes of vibrational manifold. The problem that plots for linear regression in the IPM analysis cannot be made, however, has been found in the study of self relaxation of O2(X3Σ(-)g, v = 6-8). The cause of the problem is the identical time-dependence of the populations of the adjacent vibrational levels. An addition of CF4 into the system made a difference in the time profiles and enabled us to make IPM analysis and determine the rate coefficients. In the experiments, a gaseous mixture of O3/O2/CF4 in an Ar carrier at 298 K was irradiated at 266 nm, and the direct photoproduct O2(X3Σ(-)g, v = 6-9) from O3 was detected by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF)in the B3Σu-X3Σ(-)g transition. Time-resolved LIF intensities of O2(X3Σ(-)g, v) at various pressures of O2 and fixed pressure of CF4 were recorded. The resulting rate coefficients for v = 6−8 correlate smoothly with those for v ≤ 5 and v ≥ 8 reported previously.The vibrational-level dependence (v = 2-13) of the rate coefficients for relaxation of O2(X3Σ(-)g, v) by O2 is accounted for by the balance between the harmonic transition probabilities and the energy defect in the V-V energy-transfer mechanism.

Collisional relaxation of O2(X3Σg(-), υ = 1) and O2(a1Δg, υ = 1) by atmospherically relevant species

Laboratory measurements are reported of the rate coefficient for collisional removal of O(2)(X(3)Σ(g)(-), υ = 1) by O((3)P), and the rate coefficients for removal of O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1) by O(2), CO(2), and O((3)P). A two-laser method is employed, in which the pulsed output of the first laser at 285 nm photolyzes ozone to produce oxygen atoms and O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1), and the output of the second laser detects O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1) via resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. The kinetics of O(2)(X(3)Σ(g)(-), υ = 1) + O((3)P) relaxation is inferred from the temporal evolution of O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1), an approach enabled by the rapid collision-induced equilibration of the O(2)(X(3)Σ(g)(-), υ = 1) and O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1) populations in the system. The measured O(2)(X(3)Σ(g)(-), υ = 1) + O((3)P) rate coefficient is (2.9 ± 0.6) × 10(-12) cm(3) s(-1) at 295 K and (3.4 ± 0.6) × 10(-12) cm(3) s(-1) at 240 K. These values are consistent with the previously reported result of (3.2 ± 1.0) × 10(-12) cm(3) s(-1), which was obtained at 315 K using a different experimental approach [K. S. Kalogerakis, R. A. Copeland, and T. G. Slanger, J. Chem. Phys. 123, 194303 (2005)]. For removal of O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1) by O((3)P), the upper limits for the rate coefficient are 4 × 10(-13) cm(3) s(-1) at 295 K and 6 × 10(-13) cm(3) s(-1) at 240 K. The rate coefficient for removal of O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1) by O(2) is (5.6 ± 0.6) × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) at 295 K and (5.9 ± 0.5) × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) at 240 K. The O(2)(a(1)Δ(g), υ = 1) + CO(2) rate coefficient is (1.5 ± 0.2) × 10(-14) cm(3) s(-1) at 295 K and (1.2 ± 0.1) × 10(-14) cm(3) s(-1) at 240 K. The implications of the measured rate coefficients for modeling of atmospheric emissions are discussed.

Vibrational energy transfer in O2(v = 2-8)-O2(v = 0) collisions

Starting with multipolar-multipolar interaction for intermolecular potential we have carried out a calculation of rate coefficients for transfer of one quantum of vibrational energy upon impact of O(2)(2 < or = v < or = 8) with O(2)(v = 0) as a function of temperature (150 K < or = T < or = 450 K). The equations for energy transfer, in the second order of perturbation theory, mediated by isotropic and anisotropic dispersion interactions, are derived. None of the parameters appearing in the calculation were adjusted to obtain agreement with the experimentally measured rate coefficients. The results of the calculation are compared with experimentally measured room temperature rate coefficients of the disappearance of O(2)(v) upon collision with O(2)(v = 0). The agreement is found to be good for the disappearance of O(2)(v = 3) and O(2)(v = 5). For O(2)(v = 2) the calculation gives a larger rate coefficient than the measured value, while for O(2)(v = 4) it gives a smaller value than obtained by measurement. For O(2)(v = 8) it agrees with one measurement and gives a value smaller than another measurement and a calculation.

On the dissociation of I2 by O2(a1Delta): Pathways involving the excited species I2(A'3Pi2u,A3Pi(1u)), I2(X1sigma,upsilon), and O2(a1Delta,upsilon)

Kinetic studies were carried out to explore the role of the excited species I(2)(A(') (3)Pi(2u),A (3)Pi(1u)), I(2)(X (1) summation operator,upsilon), and O(2)(a (1)Delta,upsilon) in the dissociation of I(2) by singlet oxygen. A flow tube apparatus that utilized a chemical singlet oxygen generator was used to measure the I(2) dissociation rate in O(2)(a (1)Delta)/I(2) mixtures. Vibrationally excited I(2)(X) is thought to be a significant intermediate in the dissociation process. Excitation probabilities (gamma(upsilon)) for population of the upsilonth I(2)(X) vibrational level in the reaction I(2)(X)+I((2)P(1/2))-->I(2)(X,upsilon>10)+I((2)P(3/2)) were estimated based on a comparison of calculated populations with experimentally determined values. Satisfactory agreement with the experimental data [Barnault et al., J. Phys. IV 1, C7/647 (1991)] was achieved for total excitation probabilities partitioned in two ranges, such that Gamma(25</=upsilon</=47)= summation operator(upsilon=25) (47)gamma(upsilon) approximately 0.1 and Gamma(15</=upsilon</=24)= summation operator(upsilon=15) (24)gamma(upsilon) approximately 0.9. A multipathway I(2) dissociation model was developed in which the intermediates are I(2)(A(') (3)Pi(2u),A (3)Pi(1u)) and I(2)(X,upsilon). It was shown that the iodine dissociation process passes predominantly through the I(2)(A(') (3)Pi(2u),A (3)Pi(1u)) intermediate. These states are populated by collisions of I(2) with vibrationally excited O(2)(a (1)Delta,upsilon) at the initiation and the chain stages, when the mole fraction of I(2) is small (eta(I(2) )<1%). For higher I(2) concentrations (eta(I(2) )>/=1%) the excited states are populated in the chain stage by collisions of I(2)(X,15</=upsilon</=24) with O(2)(a (1)Delta).

Spin-orbit effect in the energy pooling reaction O2(aΔ1)+O2(aΔ1)→O2(bΣ1)+O2(XΣ3)

Five-dimensional nonadiabatic quantum dynamics studies have been carried out on two new potential energy surfaces of S(2)((1)A(')) and T(7)((3)A(")) states for the title oxygen molecules collision with coplanar configurations, along with the spin-orbit coupling between them. The ab initio calculations are based on complete active state second-order perturbation theory with the 6-31+G(d) basis set. The calculated spin-orbit induced transition probability as a function of collision energy is found to be very small for this energy pooling reaction. The rate constant obtained from a uniform J-shifting approach is compared with the existing theoretical and experimental data, and the spin-orbit effect is also discussed in this electronic energy-transfer process.

Vibrational relaxation of O2(X 3 Σ–g, v = 9–13) by collisions with O2

Vibrationally excited O(2)(X(3) Sigmag(-)) was generated in the UV laser flash photolysis of O(3) and single vibrational level was detected via laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) in the B(3) Sigmau(-)-X(3) Sigmag(-) system. The time-resolved LIF of adjacent vibrational levels has been analyzed by the integrated-profiles method and the rate coefficients for single-quantum relaxation, O(2)(X(3)Sigmag(-), v = 9-13)+ O(2)(v = 0)--> O(2)(X(3)Sigmag(-), v - 1)+ O(2)(v = 1), have been determined. To the best of our knowledge, the rate coefficients for v = 12 and 13 are measured for the first time in the present study. The efficiency of relaxation is higher at lower vibrational levels, indicating that a small energy mismatch is suitable for the energy transfer. The vibrational level dependence of all the rate coefficients for the relaxation measured in the present study and previously reported by several groups can be rationalized by the energy gap law.

Vibrational Energy Transfer and Relaxation in O2 and H2O

Near-resonant vibrational energy exchange between oxygen and water molecules is an important process in the Earth's atmosphere, combustion chemistry, and the chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL). The reactions in question are (1) O2(1) + O2(0) --> O2(0) + O2(0); (2) O2(1) + H2O(000) --> O2(0) + H2O(000); (3) O2(1) + H2O(000) <--> O2(0) + H2O(010); (4) H2O(010) + H2O(000) --> H2O(000) + H2O(000); and (5) H2O(010) + O2(0) --> H2O(000) + O2(0). Reanalysis of the data available in the chemical kinetics literature provides reliable values for rate coefficients for reactions 1 and 4 and strong evidence that reactions 2 and 5 are slow in comparison with reaction 3. Analytical solution of the chemical rate equations shows that previous attempts to measure the rate of reaction 3 are unreliable unless the water mole fraction is higher than 1%. Reanalysis of data from the only experiment satisfying this constraint provides a rate coefficient of (5.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(-13) cm3/s at room temperature, between the values favored by the atmospheric and laser modeling communities.

Measurement of the rate coefficient for collisional removal of O2(XΣg−3,υ=1) by O(P3)

We report a laboratory measurement of the rate coefficient for the collisional removal of O(2)(X(3)Sigma(g) (-),upsilon=1) by O((3)P) atoms. In the experiments, 266-nm laser light photodissociates ozone in a mixture of molecular oxygen and ozone. The photolysis step produces vibrationally excited O(2)(a(1)Delta(g)) that is rapidly converted to O(2)(X(3)Sigma(g) (-),upsilon=1-3) in a near-resonant electronic energy-transfer process with ground-state O(2). In parallel, a large amount of O((1)D) atoms is generated that promptly relaxes to O((3)P). Under the conditions of the experiments, only collisions with the photolytically produced O((3)P) atoms control the lifetime of O(2)(X(3)Sigma(g) (-),upsilon=1), because its removal by molecular oxygen at room temperature is extremely slow. Tunable 193-nm laser light monitors the temporal evolution of the O(2)(X(3)Sigma(g) (-),upsilon=1) population by detection of laser-induced fluorescence near 360 nm. The removal rate coefficient for O(2)(X(3)Sigma(g) (-),upsilon=1) by O((3)P) atoms is (3.2+/-1.0)x10(-12) cm(3) s(-1) (2sigma) at a temperature of 315+/-15 K (2sigma). This result is essential for the analysis and correct interpretation of the 6.3-mum H(2)O(nu(2)) band emission in the Earth's mesosphere and indicates that the deactivation of O(2)(X (3)Sigma(g) (-),upsilon=1) by O((3)P) atoms is significantly faster than the nominal values recently used in atmospheric models.