Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.109, No.25, 5537-5544, 2005
Vibrational relaxation of molecular ions at low temperatures: O-2(-)(nu=1)+Ar
The vibrational relaxation of oxygen molecular ions trapped in an argon cage in the temperature range 10-85 K has been studied using semiclassical procedures. The collision model is based on the trapped molecule undergoing the restricted motions (local translation and hindered rotation) in a cage formed by its 12 nearest argon neighbors in a face-centered cubic arrangement. At 85 K in the liquid argon temperature range, the relaxation rate constant Of O-2(-)(nu=1) is 1130 s(-1). The rate constant decreases to 270 s(-1) at 50 K and to 3.90 s(-1) at 10 K in the solid argon temperature range. In the range 10-85 K, the rate constant closely follows the temperature dependence k proportional to T-2.7. Energy transfer pathways for the trapped molecular ion are vibration to local translation, argon phonon modes, and rotation (both hindered and free).