ELECTRON IONIZATION AND EXCITATION COEFFICIENTS FOR ARGON, KRYPTON, AND XENON IN THE LOW E/P REGION AND KINETICS OF INTERHALOGEN DIATOMICS

The electron ionization and excitation coefficients for Ar, Kr, and Xe have been measured in the low E/p region (1-12 V/cm torr) using a drift-tube apparatus. Discrepancies between previous measurements have been resolved and shown to be due to photoelectric emission attributed to the rare gas metastables. Using this information a revised set of self-consistent near threshold inelastic cross sections for each rare gas studied was determined. Experiments aimed at trying to measure the electron excitation cross sections from the metastable states of the rare gases are also described.;The spectra of the E (--->) A('3)(PI)(,1) states of IF and IC1 was obtained and for the former showed clearly resolvable rotational structure. The lifetimes of the E states of IF and IC1 were also estimated from pulsed discharge experiments. The vibrational self quenching rate of the IC1 A('3)(PI)(,1) state was estimated and also the argon quenching rate of this same state was measured.