Lifetimes and bimolecular quenching rate constants have been determined for two-photon laser excited states of Xe*(5p56p,5p56p′,5p57p) and Kr*(4p55p) in krypton and xenon buffer gases. Collisional mixing between Kr*5p[5/2]2 and Kr*5p[5/2]3 in krypton is observed and analyzed using a coupled two-state model to obtain the rate of mixing. The measured rate constants for quenching of Xe*(6p′,7p) by krypton are 15%–20% smaller than those measured previously in xenon while bimolecular rates for the Kr*(5p) states are an order of magnitude larger in xenon than those in a krypton buffer. Measurements of state-to-state rate constants for deactivation and excitation transfer are also reported for these states in krypton and xenon buffer gases.

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Excitation spectra of two-photon excited solid xenon have been obtained in the energy range of 8.4 to 11.1 eV. The measurements were performed at temperatures from 160 to 100 K. The even-parity ⌫(3/2) nϭ2, 3, and 4 Wannier excitons are observed in solid xenon. The nϭ2 and 3 excitons are shifted to higher energies relative to the energy of the corresponding odd-parity excitons by approximately 80 and 50 meV, respectively. In addition, the excitation spectrum revealed a previously unobserved series of excitons between 10.7 and 11 eV. These excitons form a Rydberg series and are possibly assignable as excitons at the X point of the Brillouin zone. The absorption linewidths ͑full width at half maximum͒ of the 2p, 3p, and 4p excitons are measured to be approximately 80, 52, and 22 meV, respectively. Several models are investigated in an attempt to explain the shift in energy between the s and p excitons in liquid and solid xenon.