INFRARED MATRIX SPECTRA OF THE N2O-CENTER-DOT-CENTER-DOT-CENTER-DOT-O-2 COMPLEX IN SOLID NITROGEN - THE N2O-CENTER-DOT-CENTER-DOT-CENTER-DOT-O-2-DIFFUSION LIMITED REACTION(O THERMAL)

The vibrational spectrum of N2O diluted in a nitrogen matrix is compar ed to the spectrum of N2O produced after the photolysis of ozone dilut ed in solid nitrogen. The small shift observed between the two spectra is due to the formation of a 1-1 complex between nitrous oxide and mo lecular oxygen. Upon increasing the temperature, the complex formed af ter the photolysis of ozone in nitrogen reacts with an oxygen atom lea ding to O-3 and N2O. Analysis of the results brings new information on oxygen atom diffusion in cryogenic solids. As predicted by theoretica l investigations, the long-range diffusion of atomic oxygen in a nearl y perfect matrix is negligible between 20 and 30 K. However, a fast mo tion of O(P-3) at short range, independent of the matrix morphology, i s experimentally suggested between 15 and 20 K.