STUDY OF EXCITED STATES OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN BY MOLECULAR BEAM MAGNETIC RESONANCE TECHNIQUES

Abstract : The purpose of this program is to investigate the effect of metastable excited states of atoms and molecules on chemical reactions that are of importance in the upper atmosphere. The majority of laboratory studies of these reactions use flowing afterglow systems in which reactive species are produced in a discharge and then allowed to react with other species in a flowing afterglow. Since these systems are usually monitored optically, it is difficult to obtain information concerning long-lived excited species directly. Many of these species contain significant energy of excitation which can alter their chemical properties markedly as compared with those of their ground states. It is desirable, therefore, to have available an experimental technique that would allow a direct assessment of the importance of these metastable states. Such a technique is that of molecular beam magnetic resonance, which permits a direct sampling of the metastable states present in the reaction system. Its preliminary application to this problem is discussed in this report.