Resonant electronic to vibrational energy transfer from Na to CH4 and CD4

We have observed sharply resonant collisional energy transfer from electronic excitation of the Na ns(n=5--11) states to vibrational excitation in CH4 and CD4 leading to resonant cross sections of approx.300 A2. However, not all energetically resonant transfers occur with large cross sections. The apparent selection rules for the process and the magnitude of the cross sections suggest that the process be described in terms of low-energy electron-molecule scattering