Deexcitation of He(2 1P) in collisions with diatomic molecules

Deexcitation cross sections of He(2 1P) by N2 and O2 have been measured using a pulse radiolysis method in a region of the mean collisional energy between 18 and 38 meV. Fairly large deexcitation cross sections (≂100 Å2) by N2 and the negative slope of the curve of cross section vs energy are interpreted in terms of the energy transfer cross section based on a dipole–dipole interaction. Validity of theoretical formula based on a semiclassical approach with rectilinear trajectories, i.e., the Watanabe–Katsuura formula, is discussed. The deexcitation cross section of He(2 1P) by O2 and its collisional energy dependence are not very different from that by N2. Optical model calculation of the deexcitation cross section has been also presented for collisions between He(2 1P) and M (M=H2 or N2) with an isotropically averaged complex potential optimized through a fitting procedure to the experimental cross sections. It has been found by the model calculation that an electron exchange interaction is not negligible in the deexcitation process.