BiF(A+, v′) radiative lifetimes and rate coefficients for V↔T transfer and electronic quenching

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Abstract
The radiative lifetime for several vibrational states (v′=0–3) was measured for electronically excited BiF(A0+). The measured radiative lifetime is 1.4 μs and does not vary for the v′ levels investigated. Also measured for those v′ levels are the electronic quenching and V–T rate coefficients for the rare gases He and Ar at an experimental temperature of ∼485 K. The results indicate Ar is slightly more efficient in electronic quenching than is He. For both gases the quenching rate constants increases with v′, with these rates becoming competitive with the radiative decay rate only for pressures in excess of 40 Torr. The vibrational relaxation (V–T) rate constant for all levels studied are found to be at least an order of magnitude greater than those for electronic quenching. The reported V–T rate coefficients scale as V1.7 for both He and Ar for v′=0, to v′=3, a result which is contrary to the behavior predicted by the classical harmonic oscillator model.

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