Modeling of the thermal migration mechanisms of atomic oxygen in Ar, Kr, and Xe crystals

Accommodation and migration of the ground-state (2s²2p^{4 3}P) oxygen atom in the ideal Ar, Kr, and Xe rare gas crystals are investigated using the classical model. The model accounts for anisotropy of interaction between guest and host atoms, spin-orbit coupling, and lattice relaxation. Interstitial and substitutional accommodations are found to be the only thermodynamically stable sites for trapping atomic oxygen. Mixing of electronic states coupled to lattice distortions justifies that its long-range thermal migration follows the adiabatic ground-state potential energy surface. Search for the migration paths reveals a common direct mechanism for interstitial diffusion. Substitutional atoms are activated by the point lattice defects, whereas the direct guest-host exchange meets a higher activation barrier. These three low-energy migration mechanisms provide plausible interpretation for multiple migration activation thresholds observed in Kr and Xe free-standing crystals, confirmed by reasonable agreement between calculated and measured activation energies. An important effect of interaction anisotropy and a minor role of spin-orbit coupling are emphasized.

Fragmentation of Molecules by Virtual Photons from Remote Neighbors

It is shown that a molecule can dissociate by the energy transferred from a remote neighbor. This neighbor can be an excited neutral or ionic atom or molecule. If it is an atom, then the transferred energy is, of course, electronic, and in the case of molecules, it can also be vibrational. Explicit examples are given which demonstrate that the transfer can be highly efficient at distances where there is no bonding between the transmitter and the dissociating molecule.

Photochemistry of XCH2CN (X = -Cl, -SH) in Argon Matrices

We report infrared spectra and photochemical behavior of the potentially astrochemically significant species, mercaptoacetonitrile (HS-CH₂C≡N) and, for comparison purposes, chloroacetonitrile (Cl-CH₂C≡N), both suspended in an argon matrix at 6 K. Photolytic formation of the isocyano products HS-CH₂-NC and Cl-CH₂-NC were observed as well as CH₃NSC and CH₃SCN (in HS-CH₂CN photolysis). While no dissociation products were observed for Cl-CH₂-CN, photolysis of HS-CH₂-CN produced compounds necessitating the loss of the CN group to form CH₂═S, the SH group to form H₂C-CN and HC-CN, or both CN and SH to form CH₃ and CH₄. Observation of emission spectra upon annealing indicates the presence of free sulfur atom in matrices of photolyzed HS-CH₂-CN.

Infrared spectra and structures of SiH₄ and GeH₄ dimers in low-temperature nitrogen matrixes

IR absorption spectra of monoisotopic silane (28)SiH4 and germane (76)GeH4 are studied in nitrogen matrixes at T = 11 K. It is shown that the absorption spectra of silane and germane are similar in the regions of the ν3 stretching and ν4 bending vibrations. A significant influence of a nitrogen matrix on the absorption spectra of XH4 molecules was established. The bands in the ν3 region of silane and germane in a nitrogen matrix are blue-shifted. The spectra of monomer molecules of SiH4 and GeH4 contain a triplet in the stretching region and a doublet in the bending region, which is explained by the change in the molecular symmetry of an XH4 molecule from T(d) to C3 on passage from the gas phase to solid nitrogen. The calculations of the matrix structure were made by the Monte Carlo method with the ensemble of particles containing the SiH4 molecule and 863 N2 molecules. The calculations predicted a set of equilibrium structures with the C3 symmetry. The structure of the absorption bands of the dimer is analyzed in the ν3 stretching and ν4 bending regions. The intensity of these absorption bands increases quadratically with concentration. The contribution of resonance dipole-dipole interactions in the formation of the absorption bands of (XH4)2 dimers in the ν3 stretching and ν4 bending regions is discussed.

Radiation effects, energy storage and its release in solid rare gases

An irradiation of solid argon sample by electrons ionizes the Ar atoms, and part of the beam energy is stored in the solid mainly in the form of self-trapped Ar(2)(+) holes. The pre-irradiated samples are investigated by methods of the so called "activation spectroscopy". During their controlled warm-up three thermally stimulated effects are observed and, in our experiments, simultaneously monitored: a VUV emission resulting from neutralization of the Ar(2)(+) holes by electrons, an anomalous desorption of surface atoms, and an exoelectron emission. A comparison of experiments with linear and step-wise sample heating shows clearly that all three processes are intimately connected. The heating detraps electrons, which neutralize the Ar(2)(+) holes resulting in a bound-free emission of argon dimers, centered around 9.7 eV. The excess energy set free during this process may dislodge surface atoms leading to an anomalous, low temperature, pressure rise. Some of the electrons can also be directly extracted from the sample and detected as an exoelectron current. The experiments provide information about the depth of electron traps, and indicate that there is a nearly continuous distribution of trapping energies.

On the nature of bonding in HCOOH...Ar and HCOOH...Kr complexes

The chemical interaction in HCOOH...Ng (Ng=Ar, Kr) complex was analyzed by topological analysis of the electron density based on Atoms-In-Molecules theory. For all computationally stable equilibrium structures of 1:1 HCOOH...Ng complexes, an intermolecular bond path with a "bond" critical point was found and perturbation of formic acid (FA) atomic basins and electron density was observed. The intermolecular interaction between the two complex subunits can be classified, according to its nature, as a closed-shell van der Waals type of interaction. However, one of the computed structures (complex II), pictures a noble gas atom attached linearly to the acidic O-H tail of FA. In this particular case, the electron density at the intermolecular bond critical point was found to resemble a hydrogen-bonded system and thus, may be termed a hydrogen-bond-like interaction. This change in the nature of the interaction is also shown by large perturbations of the FA properties found for this complex structure. The structural and vibrational perturbations are larger than for the other three structures and they increase for the Kr complexes compared to the Ar complex. [Figure: see text]. Electron density analysis of HCOOH...Ng (Ng=Ar,Kr) complex.

Thermally stimulated exoelectron emission from solid neon

In spite of the negative electron affinity of Ne atoms, appreciable concentrations of electrons can be trapped in solid neon layers formed by depositing the gas on a cold substrate with concurrent electron irradiation. These are trapped at defect sites, and can be promoted into the conduction band in an annealing experiment. They can then recombine with positive charges producing vacuum ultraviolet "thermoluminescence," but can also be extracted from the solid, and detected as an "exoelectron" current. The thermally stimulated exoelectron emission profiles of the electron current versus temperature reveal two broad features near 7.5 and 10 K. These are shown to correspond to two distributions of electron trapping sites with slightly differing activation energies. For the narrower, higher temperature maximum, an average activation energy of about 23 meV is deduced, in good agreement with predictions based on the theory of electronic defect formation.