Absolute measurements of light emission from CO2/+/ and CO in the interaction of He/2 super 3 S/ with CO2.

A flowing afterglow has been used to produce metastable He(2 super 3 S). It is shown that when He(2 super 3 S) interacts with a diatomic or triatomic molecule, its electronic excitation energy can be transferred to electronic and vibrational excitation of the molecule. To examine this mechanism, the rates for the production of electronically excited molecules, observed spectroscopically between 190 and 750 nm in the reaction of He(2 super 3 S) with CO2, have been measured. Results are tabulated.