MECHANISMS FOR VIBRATIONAL RELAXATION AT HIGH TEMPERATURES
Abstract
Attention is called to several mechanisms which effectively couple translational and vibrational motions through the intermediary of chemical reactions. It was proposed that these processes lead to shorter relaxation times than those expected from direct energy exchange via inelastic collisions. Semiquantitative estimates were made, and relaxation times for these different processes were compared as a function of the reciprocal temperatures. At high temperatures, it was proposed that the transfer of energy from rotations to vibrations at approximately constant total energy could be induced by distant collisions. These serve only to balance the change in rotational angular momentum. Such events provide alternate paths for rapid vibrational relaxation, particularly for the upper vibrational levels, and may account for the discrepancy between the observed and calculated rates of dissociation. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0274467
Entities
People
- S.c. Tsang
- S.h. Bauer
Organizations
- Cornell University