Effect of ${Hg}_{2}$ -Hg collisions on the formation and decay of excited ${Hg}_{2}$ molecules in Hg- $N_{2}$ mixtures

The effect of

{Hg}_{2}

-Hg collisions on the formation and decay of excited

{Hg}_{2} ({}^{3}1_{u})

and

{Hg}_{2} ({}^{3}0_{u}^{-})

molecules in Hg-

N_{2}

mixtures was investigated in a series of delayed-coincidence experiments.

Hg ({}^{3}P_{1})

atoms, formed by irradiating the vapor-gas mixture with pulses of Hg (2537 Å) resonance radiation, were transferred collisionally to the

{}^{3}P_{0}

state. The

{Hg}_{2} ({}^{3}1_{u})

molecules, formed in subsequent

Hg ({}^{1}S_{0}) + Hg ({}^{3}P_{0}) + N_{2}

collisions, underwent collisional

{}^{3}1_{u} \to {}^{3}0_{u}^{-}

mixing. The time-decay spectra of the 3350 and 4850-Å fluorescent bands, associated with the

{}^{3}1_{u}

and

{}^{3}0_{u}^{-}

states, respectively, were studied in relation to

N_{2}

and Hg densities and the resulting decay constants were extrapolated to zero

N_{2}

and Hg pressures, yielding the following total cross sections

Q (A \to B)

for collisional transfer between states

A

and

B

. For

{Hg}_{2}

N_{2}

collisions:

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Effect of Hg2-Hg collisions on the formation and decay of excited Hg2 molecules in Hg-N2 mixtures