Vibrational distributions of AlF(a 3Π) produced by crossed-beam collisions of Al and F2 at two kinetic energies

Abstract

Chemiluminescent spectra of AlF(a ³Π) produced in the reaction of Al with an F₂ nozzle beam are reported at two different nozzle temperatures. From spectral simulations treating AlF(a ³Π) in the intermediate case between Hund’s cases (a) and (b), it is found that the peak position of the derived vibrational distribution is shifted to a higher vibrational state for the higher temperature case. Both vibrational distributions give linear surprisal plots with nearly the same highly negative slope. In order to explain the shift of the vibrational distribution, a collinear model calculation for multiple nonadiabatic processes is proposed.