The radiative lifetime of metastable CO (a 3Pi, v=0)

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study on the radiative lifetime of CO in the a (3)Pi(1,2), v=0 state. CO molecules in a beam are prepared in selected rotational levels of this metastable state, Stark-decelerated, and electrostatically trapped. From the phosphorescence decay in the trap, the radiative lifetime is measured to be 2.63+/-0.03 ms for the a (3)Pi(1), v=0, J=1 level. From the spin-orbit coupling between the a (3)Pi and the A (1)Pi states a 20% longer radiative lifetime of 3.16 ms is calculated for this level. It is concluded that coupling to other (1)Pi states contributes to the observed phosphorescence rate of metastable CO.     

Energy-dependent dynamics of large-DeltaE collisions: highly vibrationally excited azulene (E=20 390 and 38 580 cm(-1)) with CO2

We report the energy dependence of strong collisions of CO(2) with highly vibrationally excited azulene for two initial energies, E=20 390 and 38 580 cm(-1). These studies show that both the distribution of transferred energy and the energy transfer rates are sensitive to the azulene energy. Highly excited azulene was prepared in separate studies by absorption of pulsed excitation at lambda=532 or 266 nm, followed by rapid radiationless decay from S(1) or S(4) to vibrationally excited levels of the ground electronic state. The appearance of scattered CO(2) (00(0)0) molecules with E(rot)>1000 cm(-1) was monitored by high-resolution transient IR absorption at lambda=4.3 mum. The average rotational and translational energies of the scattered CO(2) molecules double when the azulene energy is increased by a factor of 2. The rate of energy transfer in strong collisions increases by nearly a factor of 4 when the azulene energy is doubled. The energy transfer probability distribution function for DeltaE>3000 cm(-1) at each initial energy is an exponential decay with curvature that correlates with the energy dependence of the state density, in excellent agreement with predictions from GRETCHEN, a model based on Fermi's golden rule to describe collisional quenching of highly excited molecules.     

Formation of ultracold SrYb molecules in an optical lattice by photoassociation spectroscopy: theoretical prospects

State-of-the-art ab initio techniques have been applied to compute the potential energy curves for the SrYb molecule in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation for the electronic ground state and the first fifteen excited singlet and triplet states. All the excited state potential energy curves were computed using the equation of motion approach within the coupled-cluster singles and doubles framework and large basis-sets, while the ground state potential was computed using the coupled cluster method with single, double, and noniterative triple excitations. The leading long-range coefficients describing the dispersion interactions at large interatomic distances are also reported. The electric transition dipole moments have been obtained as the first residue of the polarization propagator computed with the linear response coupled-cluster method restricted to single and double excitations. Spin-orbit coupling matrix elements have been evaluated using the multireference configuration interaction method restricted to single and double excitations with a large active space. The electronic structure data were employed to investigate the possibility of forming deeply bound ultracold SrYb molecules in an optical lattice in a photoassociation experiment using continuous-wave lasers. Photoassociation near the intercombination line transition of atomic strontium into the vibrational levels of the strongly spin-orbit mixed b(3)Σ(+), a(3)Π, A(1)Π, and C(1)Π states with subsequent efficient stabilization into the v' = 1 vibrational level of the electronic ground state is proposed. Ground state SrYb molecules can be accumulated by making use of collisional decay from v' = 1 to v' = 0. Alternatively, photoassociation and stabilization to v' = 0 can proceed via stimulated Raman adiabatic passage provided that the trapping frequency of the optical lattice is large enough and phase coherence between the pulses can be maintained over at least tens of microseconds.     

Molecular spectroscopy for ground-state transfer of ultracold RbCs molecules

We perform one- and two-photon high resolution spectroscopy on ultracold samples of RbCs Feshbach molecules with the aim to identify a suitable route for efficient ground-state transfer in the quantum-gas regime to produce quantum gases of dipolar RbCs ground-state molecules. One-photon loss spectroscopy allows us to probe deeply bound rovibrational levels of the mixed excited (A(1)Σ(+)-b(3)Π)0(+) molecular states. Two-photon dark state spectroscopy connects the initial Feshbach state to the rovibronic ground state. We determine the binding energy of the lowest rovibrational level |v' = 0, J' = 0> of the X(1)Σ(+) ground state to be D = 3811.5755(16) cm(-1), a 300-fold improvement in accuracy with respect to previous data. We are now in the position to perform stimulated two-photon Raman transfer to the rovibronic ground state.     

Quenching of highly vibrationally excited pyrimidine by collisions with CO2

Relaxation of highly vibrationally excited pyrimidine (C(4)N(2)H(4)) by collisions with carbon dioxide has been investigated using diode laser transient absorption spectroscopy. Vibrationally hot pyrimidine (E(')=40 635 cm(-1)) was prepared by 248-nm excimer laser excitation, followed by rapid radiationless relaxation to the ground electronic state. The nascent rotational population distribution (J=58-80) of the 00(0)0 ground state of CO(2) resulting from collisions with hot pyrimidine was probed at short times following the excimer laser pulse. Doppler spectroscopy was used to measure the CO(2) recoil velocity distribution for J=58-80 of the 00(0)0 state. Rate constants and probabilities for collisions populating these CO(2) rotational states were determined. The measured energy transfer probabilities, indexed by final bath state, were resorted as a function of DeltaE to create the energy transfer distribution function, P(E,E(')), from E(')-E approximately 1300-7000 cm(-1). P(E,E(')) is fitted to a single exponential and a biexponential function to determine the average energy transferred in a single collision between pyrimidine and CO(2) and parameters that can be compared to previously studied systems using this technique, pyrazineCO(2), C(6)F(6)CO(2), and methylpyrazineCO(2). P(E,E(')) parameters for these four systems are also compared to various molecular properties of the donor molecules. Finally, P(E,E(')) is analyzed in the context of two models, one which suggests that the shape of P(E,E(')) is primarily determined by the low-frequency out-of-plane donor vibrational modes and one which suggests that the shape of P(E,E(')) can be determined by how the donor molecule final density of states changes with DeltaE.     

He-ThO(1Σ+) interactions at low temperatures: elastic and inelastic collisions, transport properties, and complex formation in cold 4He gas

We present an ab initio study of cold (4)He + ThO((1)Σ(+)) collisions based on an accurate potential energy surface (PES) evaluated by the coupled cluster method with single, double, and noniterative triple excitations using an extended basis set augmented by bond functions. Variational calculations of rovibrational energy levels show that the (4)He-ThO van der Waals complex has a binding energy of 10.9 cm(-1) in its ground J = 0 rotational state. The calculated energy levels are used to obtain the temperature dependence of the chemical equilibrium constant for the formation of the He-ThO complex. We find that complex formation is thermodynamically favored at temperatures below 1 K and predict the maximum abundance of free ground-state ThO(v = 0, j = 0) molecules between 2 and 3 K. The calculated cross sections for momentum transfer in elastic He + ThO collisions display a rich resonance structure below 5 cm(-1) and decline monotonically above this collision energy. The cross sections for rotational relaxation accompanied by momentum transfer decline abruptly to zero at low collision energies (<0.1 cm(-1)). We find that Stark relaxation in He + ThO collisions can be enhanced by applying an external dc electric field of less than 100 kV∕cm. Finally, we present calculations of thermally averaged diffusion cross sections for ThO in He gas, and find these to be insensitive to small variations of the PES at temperatures above 1 K.     

Variation of radiative lifetimes of NH2(Ã2A1) with rotational levels in the (0, 8, 0) and (0, 9, 0) vibration bands

Radiative lifetimes from the first electronically excited state of the amidogen free radical, NH(2)(A?(2)A(1)), are reported for rotational states in selected vibrational levels ν(2)' using laser-induced fluorescence. Thermal collision of argon, Ar(?)((3)P(0), (3)P(2)) metastable atoms in a microwave discharge-flow system with ammonia (NH(3)) molecules produced ground state NH(2)(X?(2)B(1)). The radiative lifetimes for the deactivation of NH(2)(A?(2)A(1)) were determined by measuring the decay profiles of NH(2)(A?(2)A(1)?→?X?(2)B(1)). In addition to the Fermi resonances with the ground state that lengthen the radiative lifetimes, a systematic increase in the radiative lifetimes with rotational quantum number was observed. Furthermore, the average radiative lifetimes of the (0, 9, 0) Γ, τ(1) = 18.65 ± 0.47 μs and (0, 8, 0) Φ, τ(2) = 23.72 ± 0.65 μs levels were much longer than those of the (0, 9, 0) Σ, τ(3) = 10.62 ± 0.47 μs, and (0, 8, 0) Π, τ(4) = 13.55 ± 0.55 μs states suggesting increased mixing of the first electronic excited and the ground states.     

Photodissociation spectroscopy of stored CH+ and CD+ ions: analysis of the b 3Sigma(-)-a 3Pi system

We have measured the photodissociation spectrum of CH(+) and CD(+) molecular ions, stored as fast (MeV) ion beams in the heavy-ion storage ring TSR. Several b (3)Sigma(-)-a (3)Pi bands were observed as strong resonances because a large fraction of the ions in the metastable a (3)Pi(v=0) state were pumped to b (3)Sigma(-) levels and predissociated via the c (3)Sigma(+) state into C(+) and H(D) fragments. From a rotational analysis of the 2-0, 3-0, and 4-0 bands in CH(+) and the 3-0 and 4-0 bands in CD(+), we derive spectroscopic constants for these levels and also revise a previous analysis of the 0-0 and 1-0 bands in CH(+). Combining all data delivers new, significantly adjusted equilibrium constants for the b (3)Sigma(-) and a (3)Pi electronic states. Apart from the spectroscopic analysis, we estimate the predissociation rates of the upper b (3)Sigma(-) vibrational levels in CH(+) and compare them to a model. For the initial rovibrational distribution of the stored metastable CH(+) molecules, the data indicate a faster vibrational cooling than derived before, and rotational cooling at a rate similar to the X (1)Sigma(+) ground state. New aspects of the spin-forbidden a (3)Pi-X (1)Sigma(+) radiative decay are discussed. Finally, we predict b (3)Sigma(-)-a (3)Pi absorption and a (3)Pi-X (1)Sigma(+) emission lines through which CH(+) in the metastable a (3)Pi(v=0) state might be detectable in astrophysical environments.     

Labeling vibrations by light: ultrafast transient 2D-IR spectroscopy tracks vibrational modes during photoinduced charge transfer

We report on a novel ultrafast two-dimensional infrared laser experiment that correlates vibrational bands of reactant and product of a photoreaction. The possibilities of this technique are demonstrated for the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) in [Re(CO)3Cl(dmbpy)] (dmbpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'bipyridine) where we correlated the CO vibrational modes of the ground state and the MLCT state. A distinct vibrational mode is excited in the electronic ground state by an infrared laser pulse. This vibrational label survives the subsequent electronic excitation and can be followed in the excited electronic state. It is shown that the order of the vibrational energy levels is not preserved when exciting the molecule as was commonly assumed in the literature.     

Dissociative double ionization of CO2: dynamics, energy levels, and lifetime

In a kinematically complete experiment on the dissociative double ionization of CO2 by electron impact, spontaneous and metastable decay have been observed via the channel CO2(2+) --> CO+ + O+. The metastable decay shows a lifetime of 5.8 +/- 1.5 micros. The measured kinetic energy release spectrum of the dissociation shows one broad peak. To understand the observed features, ab initio potential energy surface (PES) for the ground electronic state of CO2(2+) was computed using a multireference configuration interaction method and a correlation-consistent polarized-valence quadruple-zeta basis set, for a range of internuclear distances and O-C-O bond angles, and an analytic fit of the PES was obtained. The computed PES clearly indicates the metastability of the dication and yields a barrier height and an asymptotic limit in fair agreement with the reported data. A time-dependent quantum mechanical approach was used to compute the ground vibrational state wave function of CO2 in its ground electronic state. Assuming a Franck-Condon transition, the same function was taken to be the initial wave function at time t = 0 for the time evolution on the fitted PES for the ground electronic state of CO2(2+). The autocorrelation function was computed and Fourier transformed to obtain the excitation spectrum. Upon convolution with the instrument resolution function, the kinetic energy release spectrum was obtained, in good agreement with the experimental results, particularly at lower energies. The discrepancies at higher energies are attributed to the noninclusion of the excited states of CO2(2+) in the dynamical study.     

State-to-state photodissociation of carbonyl sulfide (nu2=0,1/JlM). II. The effect of initial bending on coherence of S(1D2) polarization

Photodissociation studies using ion imaging are reported, measuring the coherence of the polarization of the S((1)D(2)) fragment from the photolysis of single-quantum state-selected carbonyl sulfide (OCS) at 223 and 230 nm. A hexapole state-selector focuses a molecular beam of OCS parent molecules in the ground state (nu2=0mid R:JM=10) or in the first excited bending state (nu2=1mid R:JlM=111). At 230 nm photolysis the Im[a1 (1)(parallel, perpendicular)] moment for the fast S(1D2) channel increases by about 50% when the initial OCS parent state changes from the vibrationless ground state to the first excited bending state. No dependence on the initial bending state is found for photolysis at 223 nm. We observe separate rings in the slow channel of the velocity distribution of S(1D2) correlating to single CO(J) rotational states. The additional available energy for photolysis at 223 nm is found to be channeled mostly into the CO(J) rotational motion. An improved value for the OC-S bond energy D0=4.292 eV is reported.     

Formation of ultracold Rb2 molecules in the v' = 0 level of the a(3)Σ+(u) state via blue-detuned photoassociation to the 1(3)Π(g) state

We report on the observation of blue-detuned photoassociation in Rb(2), in which vibrational levels are energetically above the corresponding excited atomic asymptote. (85)Rb atoms in a MOT were photoassociated at short internuclear distance to levels of the 1(3)Π(g) state at a rate of approximately 5 × 10(4) molecules s(-1). We have observed most of the predicted vibrational levels for all four spin-orbit components; 0(+)(g), 0(-)(g), 1(g), and 2(g), including levels of the 0(+)(g) outer well. These molecules decay to the metastable a(3)Σ(+)(u) state, some preferentially to the v' = 0 level, as we have observed for photoassociation to the v' = 8 level of the 1(g) component.     

Can stimulated Raman pumping cause large population transfers in isolated molecules?

When stimulated Raman pumping (SRP) is applied to a stream of isolated molecules, such as found in a supersonic molecular beam expansion, we show that SRP can neither saturate nor power broaden a molecular transition connecting two metastable levels that is resonant with the energy difference between the pump and Stokes laser pulses. Using the optical Bloch-Feynman equations, we discuss the pumping of the hydrogen molecule from H(2) (v = 0, J = 0, M = 0) to H(2) (v = 1, J = 2, M = 0) as an illustration of how coherent population return severely reduces the SRP pumping efficiency unless the pump and Stokes laser pulses are applied with an appropriate relative delay and ratio of intensities.     

Dual Mechanism for CO(A1Π)-CO(X1 ∑+) Rovibronic Energy Transfer: An OODR-MP1 Spectroscopic Study

The highly versatile OODR-MPI technique is used, mostly without resort to isotope tagging, to study the quantum state specific rovibronic energy transfer between molecules of the same species, specifically CO(A)-CO(XJ. Two types of rovibronic energy transfer mechanisms are found to be prevailing and are differentiated experimentally, i.e., the long range near resonant dipole-dipole interactions and the short range exciplex formation. The first type is characterized, at first unexpectedly, by its compliance to the selection rules of optical dipole transitions, ΔJ = 0, ±1 and parity + ? ?. Numerical computation procedures are presented for the calculation of rovibronic energy transfer cross-sections when the two types of mechanism are operating concurrently. The computed results and their variation with J are in good accord with the experiments.     

Solvent-dependent dynamics of the MQ*-->ReII excited-state electron transfer in [Re(MQ+)(CO)3(dmb)]2+

The Re-->MQ(+) MLCT excited state of [Re(MQ(+))(CO)(3)(dmb)](2+) (MQ(+) = N-methyl-4,4'-bipyridinium, dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine), which is populated upon 400-nm irradiation, was characterized by picosecond time-resolved IR and resonance Raman spectroscopy, which indicate large structural differences relative to the ground state. The Re-->MQ(+) MLCT excited state can be formulated as [Re(II)(MQ*)(CO)(3)(dmb)](2+). It decays to the ground state by a MQ*-->Re(II) back-electron transfer, whose time constant is moderately dependent on the molecular nature of the solvent, instead of its bulk parameters: formamides approximately DMSO approximately MeOH (1.2-2.2 ns) < THF, aliphatic nitriles (3.2-3.9 ns) < ethylene-glycol approximately 2-ethoxyethanol (4.2-4.8 ns) < pyridine (5.7 ns) < MeOCH(2)CH(2)OMe (6.9 ns) < PhCN (7.5 ns) < MeNO(2) (8.6 ns) < CH(2)Cl(2), ClCH(2)CH(2)Cl (25.9-28.9 ns). An approximate correlation was found between the back-reaction rate constant and the Gutmann donor number. Temperature dependence of the decay rate measured in CH(2)Cl(2), MeOH, and BuCN indicates that the inverted MQ*-->Re(II) back-electron transfer populates a manifold of higher vibrational levels of the ground state. The solvent dependence of the electron transfer rate is explained by solvent effects on inner reorganization energy and on frequencies of electron-accepting vibrations, by interactions between the positively charged MQ(+) pyridinium ring and solvent molecules in the electron-transfer product, that is the [Re(MQ(+))(CO)(3)(dmb)](2+) ground state.     

Predissociation and autoionization of triplet Rydberg states in molecular hydrogen

We present single-photon spectroscopy in molecular hydrogen starting from the metastable c3Piu- state to a number of triplet nd-Rydberg states (v = 0 - 4, n = 12 - 20). Using fast beam spectroscopy both the autoionization channel and the predissociation channel are quantified, field free, as well as with small electric fields. Coupling with the i3Pig state is assumed to be responsible for field-free predissociation of the v = 0 Rydberg levels. The stronger observed predissociation channel of the v = 1 Rydberg levels is due to the nonadiabatic interaction with the h3Sigmag+ state in combination with l mixing due to an external electric field. No direct evidence is found for possible electric field induced predissociation of the gerade Rydberg states by low lying ungerade states. The competition between autoionization and predissociation is discussed in terms of possible consequences for dissociative recombination involving low energy electron collisions with the H2+ molecular ion.     

Calculation of the fine structure and intensity of the singlet-triplet transitions in the imidogen radical

The singlet-triplet transition moments are calculated for the NH radical by multiconfiguration self-consistent field (MCSCF) method with a quadratic response (QR) technique. The band systems in the visible region (b(1)Sigma(+)-->X(3)Sigma(-) and a(1)Delta-->X(3)Sigma(-)) of the NH radical are analyzed in comparison with previous ab initio treatments and with the recent experimental data in attempt to solve some discrepancies. The b(1)Sigma(+)-->X(3)Sigma(Omega)(-) transition moments ratio for the two spin sublevels Omega = 1 and Omega=0 of the ground state is well reproduced and the radiative lifetime of the b(1)Sigma(+) state (tau(b)=58 ms) is obtained in a good agreement with the experimental value tau(b)=53((-13)(+17)) ms. The A(3)Pi<--a(1)Delta transition probability is calculated for the first time and found to be in an excellent agreement with the recent optical pumping measurements of the NH radical in a molecular beam, where population transfer from the metastable a(1)Delta state to the ground X(3)Sigma(-) state is achieved. For the a(1)Delta-->X(3)Sigma(-) transition some improvement is achieved in comparison with the previous ab initio results, but the calculated radiative lifetime (tau(a)=3.9 s) is still much lower than the recent measurement provides (tau(a)=12.5 s). The zero field splitting and spin-rotation coupling constants are calculated for the ground state by different methods and advantage of the density functional theory is stressed.     

Photodissociation of laboratory oriented molecules: Revealing molecular frame properties of nonaxial recoil

We report the photodissociation of laboratory oriented OCS molecules. A molecular beam of OCS molecules is hexapole state-selected and spatially oriented in the electric field of a velocity map imaging lens. The oriented OCS molecules are dissociated at 230 nm with the linear polarization set at 45 degrees to the orientation direction of the OCS molecules. The CO(nu=0,J) photofragments are quantum state-selectively ionized by the same 230 nm pulse and the angular distribution is measured using the velocity map imaging technique. The observed CO(nu=0,J) images are strongly asymmetric and the degree of asymmetry varies with the CO rotational state J. From the observed asymmetry in the laboratory frame we can directly extract the molecular frame angles between the final photofragment recoil velocity and the permanent dipole moment and the transition dipole moment. The data for CO fragments with high rotational excitation reveal that the dissociation dynamics is highly nonaxial, even though conventional wisdom suggests that the nearly limiting beta parameter results from fast axial recoil dynamics. From our data we can extract the relative contribution of parallel and perpendicular transitions at 230 nm excitation.     

Molecular orbitals of the oxocarbons (CO)n, n = 2-6. Why does (CO)4 have a triplet ground state?

Cyclobutane-1,2,3,4-tetrone has been both predicted and found to have a triplet ground state, in which a b(2g) σ MO and an a(2u) π MO are each singly occupied. The nearly identical energies of these two orbitals of (CO)(4) can be attributed to the fact that both of these MOs are formed from a bonding combination of C-O π* orbitals in four CO molecules. The intrinsically stronger bonding between neighboring carbons in the b(2g) σ MO compared to the a(2u) π MO is balanced by the fact that the non-nearest-neighbor, C-C interactions in (CO)(4) are antibonding in b(2g), but bonding in a(2u). Crossing between an antibonding, b(1g) combination of carbon lone-pair orbitals in four CO molecules and the b(2g) and a(2u) bonding combinations of π* MOs is responsible for the occupation of the b(2g) and a(2u) MOs in (CO)(4). A similar orbital crossing occurs on going from two CO molecules to (CO)(2), and this crossing is responsible for the triplet ground state that is predicted for (CO)(2). However, such an orbital crossing does not occur on formation of (CO)(2n+1) from 2n + 1 CO molecules, which is why (CO)(3) and (CO)(5) are both calculated to have singlet ground states. Orbital crossings, involving an antibonding, b(1), combination of lone-pair MOs, occur in forming all (CO)(2n) molecules from 2n CO molecules. Nevertheless, (CO)(6) is predicted to have a singlet ground state, in which the b(2u) σ MO is doubly occupied and the a(2u) π MO is left empty. The main reason for the difference between the ground states of (CO)(4) and (CO)(6) is that interactions between 2p AOs on non-nearest-neighbor carbons, which stabilize the a(2u) π MO in (CO)(4), are much weaker in (CO)(6), due to the much larger distances between non-nearest-neighbor carbons in (CO)(6) than in (CO)(4).     

Rotationally resolved IR-diode laser studies of ground-state CO2 excited by collisions with vibrationally excited pyridine

Relaxation of highly vibrationally excited pyridine (C5NH5) by collisions with carbon dioxide has been investigated using diode laser transient absorption spectroscopy. Vibrationally hot pyridine (E' = 40,660 cm(-1)) was prepared by 248 nm excimer laser excitation followed by rapid radiationless relaxation to the ground electronic state. Pyridine then collides with CO2, populating the high rotational CO2 states with large amounts of translational energy. The CO2 nascent rotational population distribution of the high-J (J = 58-80) tail of the 00(0)0 state was probed at short times following the excimer laser pulse to measure rate constants and probabilities for collisions populating these CO2 rotational states. Doppler spectroscopy was used to measure the CO2 recoil velocity distribution for J = 58-80 of the 00(0)0 state. The energy-transfer distribution function, P(E,E'), from E' - E approximately 1300-7000 cm(-1) was obtained by re-sorting the state-indexed energy-transfer probabilities as a function of DeltaE. P(E,E') is fit to an exponential or biexponential function to determine the average energy transferred in a single collision between pyridine and CO2. Also obtained are fit parameters that can be compared to previously studied systems (pyrazine, C6F6, methylpyrazine, and pyrimidine/CO2). Although the rotational and translational temperatures that describe pyridine/CO2 energy transfer are similar to previous systems, the energy-transfer probabilities are much smaller. P(E,E') fit parameters for pyridine/CO2 and the four previously studied systems are compared to various donor molecular properties. Finally, P(E,E') is analyzed in the context of two models, one indicating that P(E,E') shape is primarily determined by the low-frequency out-of-plane donor vibrational modes, and the other that indicates that P(E,E') shape can be determined from how the donor molecule final density of states changes with DeltaE.