Determining by Luminescence Dynamics the Relaxation Rate Constant of CO Molecule’s First Vibrational Level on Water Vapor in the Afterglow of a Pulsed E-Beam Sustained Discharge

Abstract

The luminescence dynamics of vibrationally excited CO molecules upon excitation of a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide in a pulsed electroionization discharge has been experimentally measured. A numerical model of vibrational level kinetics was used to analyze the experimentally measured luminescence signals of vibrationally excited molecules and to determine the relaxation rate constant of the first vibrational level of CO molecules during their collisions with water molecules at Т = 300 K.