Manipulating and enhancing chemical reactions in helium droplets

The rate of the chemiluminescent Ba+N2O --> BaO*+N-2 reaction is greatly enhanced inside cold (0.38 K) helium droplets. If Xe atoms are added to the droplets, the hot surface channel is suppressed and all the emission is in a vibrational progression of sharp lines, indicating that the reaction occurs only inside the droplets. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)02019-5].