Articles | Volume 16, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00585-998-0838-7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00585-998-0838-7
31 Jul 1998
31 Jul 1998

The calculation of TV, VT, VV, VV' − rate coefficients for the collisions of the main atmospheric components

A. S. Kirillov

Abstract. The first-order perturbation approximation is applied to calculate the rate coefficients of vibrational energy transfer in collisions involving vibrationally excited molecules in the absence of non-adiabatic transitions. The factors of molecular attraction, oscillator frequency change, anharmonicity, 3-dimensionality and quasiclassical motion have been taken into account in the approximation. The analytical expressions presented have been normalized on experimental data of VT-relaxation times in N2 and O2 to obtain the steric factors and the extent of repulsive exchange potentials in collisions N2-N2 and O2-O2. The approach was applied to calculate the rate coefficients of vibrational-vibrational energy transfer in the collisions N2-N2, O2-O2 and N2-O2. It is shown that there is good agreement between our calculations and experimental data for all cases of energy transfer considered.

Key words. Ionosphere (Auroral ionosphere; ion chemistry and composition). Atmospheric composition and structure (Aciglow and aurora).