Rotational and vibrational energy transfer in vibrationally excited acetylene at energies near 6560 cm-1

Collisional energy transfer kinetics of vibrationally excited acetylene has been examined for states with internal energies near 6560 cm(-1). Total population removal rate constants were determined for selected rotational levels of the (1,0,1,0(0),0(0)) and (0,1,1,2(0),0(0)) states. Values in the range of (10-18) x 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1) were obtained. Measurements of state-to-state rotational energy transfer rate constants were also carried out for these states. The rotational energy transfer kinetics was found to be consistent with simple energy gap models for the transfer probabilities. Vibrational transfer out of the (0,1,1,2(0),0(0)) state accounted for no more than 16% of the total removal process. Transfer from (1,0,1,0(0),0(0)) to the u-symmetry (0,2,0,3(1),1(-1)), (0,1,1,2(0),0(0)), and (1,1,0,1(1),1(-1)) states was observed. Applying the principle of detailed balance to these data indicated that vibrational transfer to (1,0,1,0(0),0(0)) accounted for similar to 0.1% of the population loss from (0,2,0,3(1),1(-1)) or (0,1,1,2(0),0(0)), and 3% of the loss from (1,1,0,1(1),1(-1)). Relative rotational transfer probabilities were obtained for transfer to the g-symmetry (1,1,0,2(0),0(0))/(0,0,2,0(0),0(0)) dyad. These results are related to recent studies of optically pumped acetylene lasers. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3671459]