Resonant electronic to vibrational energy transfer from Na to CH4and CD4

Abstract

We have observed sharply resonant collisional energy transfer from electronic excitation of the Na $\mathrm{ns}(n=5-11\mathrm{})\mathrm{}$ states to vibrational excitation in C${\mathrm{H}}_4$ and C${\mathrm{D}}_4$ leading to resonant cross sections of ∼300 ${\mathrm{\cong }}^2$. However, not all energetically resonant transfers occur with large cross sections. The apparent selection rules for the process and the magnitude of the cross sections suggest that the process be described in terms of low-energy electron-molecule scattering.