Identification of structures in absorption spectrum of Kr-Xe gas mixtures close to the Xe resonance line at 146.96 nm

The origins of spectral structures that appear close to the Xe resonance line at 146.96 nm in absorption spectra of Kr gas with an admixture of Xe are discussed in this paper. It is shown that these structures can result from bound-bound and bound-free transitions in the Xe-Kr molecule between the ground state and the 1(³P₁) excited state, which both are weakly-bound. The depth of the excited state is estimated. An introduction of a hump on the 1(³P₁) state internuclear potential is suggested. Received 15 December 1999 and Received in final form 20 February 2000