Carbon Suboxidc

The C( lS) state lies 2.683 eV above the ground state C(3P) with a lifetime of 2 sec (32). The production of C( S) atoms is observed in the photolysis of carbon suboxidc in the vacuum ultraviolet. The C( S) atom production can be detected by absorption at 2479 or 1752 A. Rate constants of C( S) with molecules have been measured by Meaburn and Perner (687), Husain and Kirsch (505), and Braun et al (141). The rate constants are in general much smaller (collision efficiencies 10-2 to 10 h) than those for C( D), in analogy with the results for O( D) and O( S) atom quenching rates given in Table IV-3. 

The ground state C atoms are produced by the photolysis of carbon suboxidc. They can be monitored by optical absorption at 1657 A. Reactions of C(3P) atoms with molecules have been studied by Husain and Kirsch (497,498) and Braun et al. (141). 

The photolysis of carbon suboxidc in the near ultraviolet has been studiol by many workers. The formation of C ( P) atoms is not energetically possibU above the incident wavelength, 2066 A. Hence, the primary process must I"... 

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