The vibrational relaxation of H2(v=1) by D2, N2, HCl, and CO2 was studied at 295°K by a laser‐induced fluorescence technique. HF added in small quantities to the gas mixtures and vibrationally excited by a pulsed HF TEA laser produced H2(v=1) by V–V transfer; HF also served as the tracer for H2(v=1). The results were interpreted to be primarily V–V rates; the values being (1.25±0.15) ×10−3, (3.14±0.4) ×10−4, (2.1±0.3) ×10−6, and (4.4±0.9) ×10−4(μsec Torr)−1 for H2(v=1) transfer to HCl, D2, N2, and CO2, respectively. The data for D2 and N2 were correlated with the V–V exchange probabilities for other diatom–diatom collisions by the parameter μ1/2ΔE, where μ is the reduced mass of the collision partners and ΔE the energy mismatch. This parameter also correlates V–V exchange probabilities for CO2–diatom collisions. A separate correlation of V–V exchange probabilities for hydrogen halide–homonuclear diatom collisions was obtained by plotting the probabilities versus ΔE/hν.

Vibrational energy exchange between H2(v=1) and D2, N2, HCl, and CO2

A cw hydrogen fluoride laser has been used successfully to separate deuterium from hydrogen by specific photocatalysis of the reaction of methanol with bromine. The strong absorption of H/sub 3/COH was demonstrated for the HF laser lines P1(5), P1(6), and P1(7). No absorption of the HF beam by deutero-methanol was observed. Excitation of H/sub 2/COH by the absorbed beam increased the rate of H/sub 3/COH removal by reaction with bromine. Irradiation of a 1:1 H/sub 3/COH:D/sub 3/COD gas mixture in the presence of bromine for a period of 1 min with the 90-W cw hydrogen fluoride laser beam produced isotope enrichment to greater than 95 percent D/sub 3/COD.

Isotope separation with the cw hydrogen fluoride laser. [Deuterium]

Experiments with a pulsed discharge−pumped (nonchemical) HF laser are described. The laser discharge is sustained with a cold cathode electron beam gun. An output power of 8 kW/cm2 in a 2.5−μsec pulse length is obtained. Several observations regarding the laser mechanism are made.

R. M. Osgood

Papers

Nonchemical HF pulse laser pumped by e−beam−sustained discharge