Collisional quenching kinetics for the HgCl* and HgBr* (B1/2) state

Measurements of the rates of collisional quenching of HgCl* (B 2Σ+1/2) by He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, and N2 at pressures up to 3000 Torr, and HgBr* (B 2Σ+1/2) by He, Ar, Xe, N2, Br2, HBr, CF3Br, and CCl3Br at pressures up to 1000 Torr, are reported in this paper. Steady state measurements are made of HgCl* and HgBr* fluorescence produced by photolyzing HgCl2 and HgBr2, respectively, using Xe2* radiation. A modified Stern–Volmer analysis is used in determining the rates. This analysis accounts for absorption of Xe2* radiation measured for the quenching species Cl2, HCl, CCl4, Br2, HBr, CF3Br, and CCl3Br. The measured vacuum UV cross sections for these species are included.