Rotational and vibrational temperatures of electronically excited BiN radicals in a chemiluminescent flame

Rotational and vibrational temperatures of electronically excited BiN radicals in a low-pressure Bi_x+N/N₂*/N₂+Ar chemiluminescent flame have been deduced from high-resolution Fourier-transform emission spectra. Bands of three electronic transitions, a³Σ⁺(a₁1)→X¹Σ⁺(X0⁺), b⁵Σ⁺(b₁0⁺)→X¹Σ⁺(X0⁺), and b⁵Σ⁺(b₁0⁺)→a ³Σ⁺(a₁1), were analysed to determine the optical temperatures in the a³Σ⁺(a₁1) and b⁵Σ⁺(b₁0⁺) states. The rotational temperatures characterising the rotational populations in the a₁1, v=0 and 1 states were determined from the a₁→X, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4, 1-1, and 1-2 bands. The b₁→X, 0-8 and 0-11 bands, and the b₁→a₁, 0-0 bands served to determine the rotational temperature of the radicals in the b₁0⁺, v=0 state. The temperatures derived from the various bands and transitions were well consistent and the mean rotational temperature was determined to be 353±18 K, which is close to the translational temperature of the gas.Vibrational temperatures of the radicals in the a₁1 and b₁0⁺ states were derived from band intensities of the a₁→X and from the b₁→X as well as b₁→a₁ systems, respectively. The Franck-Condon factors needed were calculated with RKR potentials deduced from literature values of the rotational and vibrational constants in the three states involved. The a₁1 vibrational temperature (336±21 K) was close to the rotational temperature, while the b₁0⁺ vibrational temperature (438±36 K) differed, likely due to the previously observed perturbation of the b₁0⁺ state.