Emission spectroscopy of a new Δ-1Δ system of VO

High-resolution spectra of VO have been reinvestigated in the 12 000-31 000 cm⁻¹ region. VO was produced in a vanadium hollow cathode lamp by discharging 1.5 Torr of Ar and the spectra were recorded using a Fourier transform spectrometer. The oxygen needed to produce VO was present in the system as an impurity. Three new bands observed in the 21 000-22 100 cm⁻¹ region have been attributed to a new ²Δ-1²Δ electronic transition of VO. Two bands, with origins near 21 044 and 22 038 cm⁻¹, have been assigned as the 0-1 and 0-0 bands of the ²Δ_3/2-1²Δ_3/2 sub-band while a weak band with an origin near 21 975 cm⁻¹ has been assigned as the 0-0 band of the corresponding ²Δ_5/2-1²Δ_5/2 sub-band. A rotational analysis of these sub-bands has been obtained and spectroscopic constants have been extracted. The 1²Δ state is known from the previous analyses of the doublet transitions of VO in the near infrared. The present observation has allowed the determination of the vibrational interval ΔG_1/2 and the equilibrium rotational constants for the 1²Δ_3/2 state.