Higher ro-vibrational levels of H2O deduced from high resolution oxygen-hydrogen flame spectra between 6200 and 9100 cm-1

The spectra of hydrogen-oxygen and acetylene-oxygen flames have been recorded on a Fourier transform spectrometer in the region 6200–9100 cm^-1 with a resolution of 0·015 cm^-1. In this region, we have performed a detailed analysis of the 2v ₂ + v ₃, v ₁ + v ₃, v ₁ + v ₂ + v ₃ - v ₂ and v ₁ + v ₂ + v ₃ bands. A primary motive for this study was to obtain higher rotational energy levels for the (021), (101) and (111) vibrational states. Moreover an extensive set of rotational levels of the (010) vibrational state has been deduced from the combined study of hot bands involving the (011), (021) and (111) vibrational states. A room-temperature absorption spectrum of water recorded on a Fourier transform spectrometer in the region 1750–2300 cm^-1 (resolution 0·005 cm^-1) has also been used to confirm the analysis.     

Rotational analysis of the 7390- and 7937-Å bands of NO2 by means of Fourier transform spectroscopy

We have extended to higher N and to K_a = 3 and 4 the rotational analysis of the 7390-Å band of NO₂ performed by K. E. Hallin and A. J. Merer (Canad. J. Phys.55, 2101–2112 (1977)). The lines belong to a perturbed parallel band for which Hallin and others have proposed the vibrational assignment (2 13 1)-(0 0 0) within the electronic ground state. These authors presumed that this band borrows its intensity through a vibronic coupling (spin-orbit and/or Coriolis coupling) from the stronger (0 2 0)-(0 0 0) band of the $\text{A}\text{?}\text{-}\text{X}\text{?}$ electronic system at 7460 Å. We have observed about 900 transitions belonging to the K_a = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 subbands of the (2 13 1)-(0 0 0) band for N values going up to about 23, and 300 lines of the “hot” band (2 13 1)-(0 1 0). We have also looked for spin-orbit-induced transitions and we have detected about 400 transitions with ΔN ≠ ΔJ. Among them ΔN = ±2 transitions with ΔK_a = 0 or ± 2 have been observed, indicating that N and K_a are no longer good quantum numbers, and demonstrating clearly the existence of rovibronic interactions perturbing the upper levels of the transitions.     

Calculated energy levels and intensities for the ν1 and 2ν2 bands of HDO

A Hamiltonian taking explicitly into account both Fermi and Coriolis interactions has been set up for triatomic molecules of symmetry C_s and used to reproduce, very satisfactorily, the available rotational energy levels of the {(100), (020)} interacting states of HDO, providing us with realistic wavefunctions as well as precise rotational constants and vibrational energies. Then, to calculate line intensities, these wavefunctions were used together with suitably chosen transition moment operators expanded up to degree 2 in $\text{J}$ and having the correct symmetry in the C_s group, leading to hybrid bands of both A and B type., Using this formalism, it has been possible to determine, from the fit of the existing experimental intensities, the coefficients appearing in the expansions of the transition moment operators of the 2ν₂ and ν₁ bands of HDO. In this way, we have improved upon the F-factor formalism which needs much more parameters to reproduce the line intensities with the same precision. Finally, using the transition moments as well as the wavefunctions and energy levels deduced from the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian matrix, we have calculated the whole spectrum of the ν₁ and 2ν₂ bands of HDO.     

Unusual behavior of the ferroelectric polarization in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices

Artificial PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices were constructed using off-axis rf magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction and piezoelectric atomic force microscopy were used to study the evolution of the ferroelectric polarization as the ratio of PbTiO3 to SrTiO3 was changed. For PbTiO3 layer thicknesses larger than the 3-unit cell SrTiO3 thickness used in the structure, the polarization is found to be reduced as the thickness is decreased. This observation confirms the primary role of the depolarization field in the polarization reduction in thin films. For the samples with ratios of PbTiO3 to SrTiO3 of less than one, a surprising recovery of ferroelectricity that cannot be explained by electrostatic considerations was observed.     

The ν1 and ν3 Bands of the OOO Isotopomer of Ozone

Using 0.002 cm⁻¹ resolution Fourier transform absorption spectra of an ¹⁷O-enriched ozone sample, an extensive analysis of the ν₃ band together with a partial identification of the ν₁ band of the ¹⁷O¹⁶O¹⁷O isotopomer of ozone has been performed for the first time. As for other C_2v-type ozone isotopomers [J.-M. Flaud and R. Bacis, Spectrochim. Acta, Part A 54, 3–16 (1998)], the (001) rotational levels are involved in a Coriolis-type resonance with the levels of the (100) vibrational state. The experimental rotational levels of the (001) and (100) vibrational states have been satisfactorily reproduced using a Hamiltonian matrix which takes into account the observed rovibrational resonances. In this way precise vibrational energies and rotational and coupling constants were deduced and the following band centers ν₀(ν₃) = 1030.0946 cm⁻¹ and ν₀(ν₁) = 1086.7490 cm⁻¹ were obtained for the ν₃ and ν₁ bands, respectively.     

Time dependence of charge transfer processes in diamond studied with positrons

We have developed a method called optical transient positron spectroscopy and apply it to study the optically induced carrier trapping and charge transfer processes in natural brown type IIa diamond. By measuring the positron lifetime with continuous and pulsed illumination, we present an estimate of the optical absorption cross section of the vacancy clusters causing the brown color. The vacancy clusters accept electrons from the valence band in the absorption process, giving rise to photoconductivity.     

Relaxation of photoexcited Na$_\mathsf{3}$F

This paper describes the spectroscopy of Na₃F both in the frequency and time domains. The photoionization efficiency curve shows two thresholds, associated to two isomers. The excited electronic states of the C_2v isomer have been probed by photodepletion spectroscopy, and the results are used to analyze a time-resolved study of photoexcited Na₃F, probed by photoionization. The pump-probe signal clearly shows damped oscillations, the period of which is fitted to fs, close to twice the previously measured bending mode of Na₂F [1], while the relaxation time is fs.Received: 31 October 2003, Published online: 6 January 2004PACS: 36.40.Qv Stability and fragmentation of clusters - 33.50.-j Fluorescence and phosphorescence; radiationless transitions, quenching (intersystem crossing, internal conversion)     

Study of the decay B0(B- 0)-->rho+rho-, and constraints on the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa angle alpha

Using a data sample of 89 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BB decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B Factory at SLAC, we measure the B0(B (0))-->rho(+)rho(-) branching fraction as [30+/-4(stat)+/-5(syst)]x10(-6) and a longitudinal polarization fraction of f(L)=0.99+/-0.03(stat)+0.04-0.03(syst). We measure the time-dependent-asymmetry parameters of the longitudinally polarized component of this decay as C(L)=-0.17+/-0.27(stat)+/-0.14(syst) and S(L)=-0.42+/-0.42(stat)+/-0.14(syst). We exclude values of alpha between 19 degrees and 71 degrees (90% C.L.).     

Measurement of the B-->Xsl+l- branching fraction with a sum over exclusive modes

We measure the branching fraction for the flavor-changing neutral-current process B-->X(s)l(+)l(-) with a sample of 89x10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BBmacr; events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e(+)e(-) storage ring. The final state is reconstructed from e(+)e(-) or micro(+)micro(-) pairs and a hadronic system X(s) consisting of one K+/- or K(0)(S) and up to two pions, with at most one pi(0). We observe a signal of 40+/-10(stat)+/-2(syst) events and extract the inclusive branching fraction B(B-->X(s)l(+)l(-))=(5.6+/-1.5(stat)+/-0.6(exp syst)+/-1.1(model syst))x10(-6) for ml(+)(l(-))>0.2 GeV/c(2).     

Study of high momentum eta' production in B --> eta'Xs

We measure the branching fraction for the charmless semi-inclusive process B --> eta'Xs, where the eta' meson has a momentum in the range 2.0 to 2.7 GeV/c in the upsilon4S center-of-mass frame and Xs represents a system comprising a kaon and zero to four pions. We find B(B --> eta'Xs) = [3.9 +/- 0.8(stat) +/- 0.5(syst) +/- 0.8(model)] x 10(-4). We also obtain the Xs mass spectrum and find that it fits models predicting high masses.