Measurements of quenching rate coefficients of YO molecule in A²Π_1/2, A²Π_3/2, and B²Σ⁺ states by helium, argon and oxygen from a solar induced fluorescence technique

PROMES-CNRS, Procédés Matériaux et Énergie Solaire, 7 Rue du Four Solaire, 66120 Font-Romeu, France

Corresponding author: granier@promes.cnrs.fr

Received: 10 May 2007
Revised: 20 September 2007
Accepted: 28 September 2007
Published online: 7 December 2007

Abstract

We measured in function of helium, argon, and oxygen gas pressure, the evolution of the intensities of the fluorescence spectra of YO molecule issuing from a liquid drop of yttrium oxide melted at the focus of a solar furnace. From this evolution and in a simplified approach assuming the independency of the three molecular systems of YO (A²Π_1/2-X²Σ⁺, A²Π_3/2-X²Σ⁺, B²Σ⁺-X²Σ⁺) we deduced, through the analysis of Stern-Volmer plots, a mean quenching rate coefficients of this molecule in these states by the above mentioned gases.