Energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited naphthalene. III. Rotational effects

The rotational effects in the energy transfer between Kr atoms and highly vibrationally excited naphthalene in the triplet state were investigated using crossed-beam/time-sliced velocity map ion imaging at various translational collision energies. As the initial rotational temperature changes from less than 10 to similar to 350 K, the ratio of vibrational to translational (V -> T) energy transfer cross section to translational to vibrational/rotational (T -> VR) energy transfer cross section increases, but the probability of forming a complex during the collisions decreases. Significant increases in the large V -> T energy transfer probabilities, termed supercollisions, at high initial rotational temperature were observed. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.