Solvent effects on non-resonant vibrational deactivation: N2(ν = 1) deactivated by CH4 in liquid Ar/liquid N2 mixtures

New measurements have been made of rate constants for the vibrational deactivation of N2(ν = 1) by CH4 in liquid Ar/liquid N2 mixtures. The ratio of the liquid phase rate constants, kL,M for the liquid mixture over kL,Ar for liquid argon solution, varies non-linearly with composition. The results imply a saturation effect which occurs when one solvent N2 molecule is present in the first solvation shell of the excited molecule. It is proposed that this is due to the formation of a N2(ν = 1) … N2 collision complex.