The 4051-Angstroms band of C3 (A 1Piu-X 1Sigmag +, 000-000): perturbed low-J lines and lifetime measurements

Rotational analyses have been carried out at high resolution for the 000-000 and 000-100 bands of the A (1)Pi(u)-X (1)Sigma(g) (+) transition of supersonic jet-cooled C(3). Two different spectra have been recorded for each band, using time gatings of 20-150 and 800-2300 ns. At the shorter time delay the spectra show only the lines observed by many previous workers. At the longer time delay many extra lines appear, some of which have been observed previously by [McCall et al.Chem. Phys. Lett. 374, 583 (2003)] in cavity ring-down spectra of jet-cooled C(3). Detailed analysis of these extra lines shows that at least two long-lived states perturb the A (1)Pi(u), 000 state. One of these appears to be a (3)Sigma(u) (-) vibronic state, which may possibly be a high vibrational level of the b (3)Pi(g) state, and the other appears to be a P = 1 state with a low rotational constant B. Our spectra also confirm the reassignment by McCall et al. of the R(0) line of the 000-000 band, which is consistent with the spectra recorded towards a number of stars that indicate the presence of C(3) in the interstellar medium. Fluorescence lifetimes have been measured for a number of upper-state rotational levels. The rotational levels of the A (1)Pi(u) state have lifetimes in the range of 230-190 ns, decreasing slightly with J; the levels of the perturbing states have much longer lifetimes, with some of them showing biexponential decays. An improved value has been obtained for the nu(1) vibrational frequency of the ground state, nu(1) = 1224.4933 +/- 0.0029 cm(-1).     

Magnetic rotation observation of the C2b3Σg− ← a3Πu transition using a color center laser

The magnetic rotation observation of the C₂b³Σ_g^? ← a³Π_u Ballik-Ramsay system using a color center laser is reported. This is the first detection of this system in absorption. Three bands, 0 ← 1, 1 ← 2, and 2 ← 3, were identified in the spectral range 3650–4030 cm^?1. The last two bands were observed for the first time. In magnetic rotation many satellite lines (ΔN ≠ ΔJ) which would be very weak in normal absorption have been observed with intensity comparable to the main branch lines. This permits a slight improvement in the accuracy of some of the fine structure constants. A variety of lineshapes are observed for the various branches by magnetic rotation. Because the b³Σ_g^? fine structure is small, giving a partial overlap, the peak frequency of a magnetic rotation signal usually does not correspond to the center frequency of the normal absorption signal of that transition. A computer program has been written to predict magnetic rotation lineshapes and obtain the peak frequency displacements. Various observed and calculated lineshapes are displayed and compared.     

Laser spectroscopy of FeO: Rotational analysis of some subbands of the orange system

Extensive laser excitation spectra and rotationally resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectra have been recorded for the “orange system” of gaseous FeO in the wavelength regions 5790–6140 and 5580–5640 Å. Detailed rotational analyses have been performed for about $\text{20}\text{Ω}\text{′}$ substates lying between 16 350 and 18 550 cm^?1. These are found to comprise a very severely perturbed ⁵Δ_i excited electronic state with a bond length of about 1.69 Å (which is responsible for the parallel polarization of the electronic transition from the ⁵Δ_i ground electronic state) and a large number of “extra” $\text{Ω}$ substates with B′ values ranging from 0.38 to 0.50 cm^?1, which almost certainly belong to high vibrational levels of lower-lying electronic states. Evidence about the natures of the “extra” states is confusing, however, with the ⁵⁴FeO⁵⁶FeO isotope shifts apparently being in conflict with the patterns of vibrationally resolved laser-induced fluorescence. Every single $\text{Ω}$ substate that has been analyzed shows rotational perturbations of varying severity. The density and magnitude of the rotational perturbations are quite exceptional for a diatomic molecule, and result in a new type of totally chaotic diatomic spectrum. There is a remarkable similarity to the visible spectrum of NO₂: in NO₂ the complications arise from the high density of perturbing ground state vibrational levels; in FeO there is a correspondingly high density of perturbing electronic states at lower energy. The great complexity of the FeO spectrum arises because the states are in an awkward intermediate spin-coupling case which still resembles Hund's case (a) but shows strong tendencies toward Hund's case (c) coupling.     

Predissociated rotational structure in the 2490-Å band of 15NO2

The rotational structure of the 000-000 band of the 2490-Å system of ¹⁵NO₂ ($\text{2}{}^2\text{B}{}_2\text{-}\text{X}\text{?}{}^2\text{A}{}_1$) has been analyzed from high dispersion grating spectrograph plates. The band is found to be slightly predissociated, exactly as in the ¹⁴NO₂ isotope, which suggests that it might be usable for laser separation of the isotopes of nitrogen; tables of the wavenumbers of the lines are given. The upper-state molecular constants are close to the values calculated by the isotope relations from those of ¹⁴NO₂.     

Anomalous Vibrational Dependence of the Rotational and Hyperfine Parameters in the B(4)Pi-X(4)Sigma(-) Transition of NbO

The laser excitation spectrum of jet-cooled NbO in the region 16 000-18 000 cm(-1) has been recorded at high resolution, giving rotational and hyperfine constants for the levels v=0-3 of the B(4)Pi state and v=1 of the X(4)Sigma(-) state; zero gaps have also been measured at low resolution for some weaker bands involving higher vibrational levels. Taken together with the laser data for the B-X (0,0) band from Adam et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 94, 6240-6262 (1994)) and the Fourier transform emission data for the doublet manifold from Launila et al. (J. Mol. Spectrosc. 186, 131-143 (1997)), the new data give a very complete picture of the vibrational energy level pattern in this region. Strong irregularities in the vibrational dependences of the B(4)Pi rotational and hyperfine constants can be interpreted in terms of spin-orbit interaction between the B(4)Pi state and the f(2)Pi, e(2)Phi, and d(2)Delta states. The interaction is strong enough that all three doublet states can be seen in absorption from the X(4)Sigma(-) ground state, adding to the complexity of the spectrum. The hitherto unknown sigmadeltasigma* (4)Delta state is estimated to lie near 17 500 cm(-1), from the change of sign in the spin-rotation parameter gamma of the B(4)Pi state between v=2 and 3. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.