Collisional Excitation Cross Sections.

First principles calculations are reported of high velocity vibrational excitation and relaxation processes in several molecules of importance in plume technology. These involve collisions of atomic oxygen with HF, HC1, CO, water, and carbon dioxide. Cross sections for vibrational excitation and relaxation are reported, along with vibrational relaxation rate constants. The effect of chemical reaction channels in these systems is discussed, and is relatively unimportant except at the highest velocities considered. Translational energies were studied up to 6 eV. (Author)