15min:
KINETIC SPECTROSCOPY OF NCl.

ANATOLY V. KOMISSAROV, MICHAEL C. HEAVEN, Department of Chemistry, Emory University, \linebreak Atlanta, GA 30322.

Metastable NCl(a1 Delta) is a promising energy carrier for use in chemically driven iodine lasers. The present studies of NCl kinetics were conducted in support of efforts to develop an NCl(a)/I laser system.

Photolysis of N3Cl was used to generate NCl for spectroscopic and kinetic measurements. The kinetics of NCl in the ground and excited electronic states was studied by means of time-resolved direct absorption and emission measurements. Rate constants for removal of NCl(a) by O2, H2, Cl2, I2, ClN3 and self-annihilation (NCl(a)+NCl(a)) were determined.

The reaction of NCl(a) with I2 and energy transfer from NCl(a) to I were examined using photolysis of N3Cl/I2 and N3Cl/CH2I2 mixtures, respectively. Time-resolved fluorescence from I* was used to follow the reaction and transfer kinetics. Kinetic models were developed to simulate the I* time histories. The models, which were anchored by the NCl removal rate constants, were used to explore the kinetics of secondary photoproducts. The relevance of the results to NCl/I transfer lasers will be discussed.