MOLECULAR-HYDROGEN ISOTOPOMERS AS TRAPS OF VIBRATIONAL-ENERGY IN LOW-TEMPERATURE MATRICES

The vibrational relaxation of (CO)-C-13-O-18 carbon monoxide in argon matrices doped with H-2, D-2 and HD has been studied. The effect of H- 2 addition is the strongest one when compared to other isotopomers of molecular hydrogen. The most probable mechanism of H-2 interaction wit h vibrationally excited (CO)-C-13-O-18 is the V-R type of energy trans fer, involving a Delta J = 4 excitation of ortho-H-2. For (CO)-C-13-O- 18/D-2 and (CO)-C-13-O-18/HD systems the evidence in favour of a V-V p rocess, namely the exchange of two vibrational quanta of CO against on e vibrational quantum of either D-2 or HD, has been obtained.