PRODUCT BRANCHING RATIOS OF THE CH+NO REACTION

The multichannel CH + NO reaction was studied, at room temperature, in a low-pressure fast-flow reactor. CH was obtained from the reaction o f CHBr3 with potassium atoms. The overall rate constant was found to b e (1.9 +/- 0.5) x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The relative branc hing ratios of NH(A(3)Pi) + CO and NCO-(A(2)Sigma(+)) + H chemilumines cent pathways were determined as 42% and 58% (+/- 7). Nascent NH(A3 Pi ) was distributed between the vibrational levels v' = 1 and v' = 0 in the proportion of 33% and 67% (+/- 3%). The CN chemiluminescence from the energetically allowed CN(A(2)Pi(i)) + OH pathway could not be dete cted. Also, CN(X(2)Sigma(+)) could not be detected by laser-induced fl uorescence. Relative product branching ratios were determined over the channels yielding atoms probed by resonance fluorescence in the vacuu m ultraviolet: O + HCN, (72 +/- 10)%; H + NCO, (21 +/- 10)%; N + HCO, (7 +/- 3)%.