Vibrational deactivation of CO(v=1) by oxygen atoms

Collisional relaxation of vibrationally excited carbon monoxide (v=1) by oxygen atoms has been measured from 265 to 389 °K using the laser induced fluorescence technique. Atom concentrations were measured with an ESR spectrometer. The measured rates, which vary from 7.5(+9.4−7.5) 102 sec−1 torr−1 at 265 °K to 4.2±2.0 103 sec−1 torr−1 at 389 °K show good agreement with existing high temperature shock tube results on a Landau–Teller plot. These rates indicate that atomic oxygen may be the dominant quenching species in many carbon monoxide chemical lasers.