Optical emission and kinetic reactions of a four-atomic rare gas halide exciplex: Ar3F

Abstract

A new broadband emission from electron beam excited high pressure Ar/F₂ and Ar/NF₃ mixtures at (435±50) nm is reported. This gas phase spectrum as well as a previously unassigned broadband emission at (455±55) nm observed in optically excited liquid Ar/F₂ mixtures is assigned to the four‐atomic rare gas halide exciplex Ar₃F. Ar₃F is produced by three‐body collisions from Ar₂F, but is easily destroyed by two‐body collisions due to its small binding energy.