A Flash Photolysis Study of CH4–O2 Mixtures behind Shock Waves: Examination of Reaction of CH3+O2

ArF laser photolysis in the mixtures of CH4 and O2 highly diluted in Ar has been conducted behind reflected shock waves, where O and H atoms have been monitored using the ARAS technique. The rate constant for the reaction CH4 + O → CH3 + OH (1) has been directly determined to be 10−8.95 ± 0.27 exp [−(15.4 ± 2.0)kcal mol−1/RT] cm3 molecule−1 s−1 over the temperature range of 1365–1840 K. Also the consecutive reactions; CH3 + O2 → CH3O + O (3a) and CH3 + O2 → CH2O + OH (3b) have been examined more directly than in previous thermally initiated experiments, and the combinations of k3a and k3b have been evaluated at the temperature range from 1622 to 1840 K.