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Multiphoton ionization spectroscopy and photochemistry of transient species. Annual progress report, July 15, 1985-July 15, 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5697100

A pulsed electric discharge in a pulsed supersonic jet of N/sub 2/ is found to produce high densities of metastable E/sup 3/..sigma../sub g//sup +/ N/sub 2/. Subsequent laser irradiation of these metastables results in single-photon excitation to autoionizing states. Singly charged cations are detected by time-of-flight mass spectrometry or, alternatively, ejected electrons are detected by TOF electron energy analysis. From both the laser excitation spectra and photoelectron spectra we have identified a number of autoionizing Rydberg states, including a triplet Rydberg series (np = 8 - 26)/sup 3/PI/sub u/ reverse arrow E/sup 3/..sigma../sub g//sup +/ converging to the ground state ion, the first member of an s-type triplet Rydberg series /sup 3/..sigma../sub u//sup +/ reverse arrow E converging to the B state of the ion and the lowest member of a d-type triplet Rydberg series /sup 3/PI/sub u/ or /sup 3/..sigma../sub u//sup +/ reverse arrow E converging to the A state of the ion. Some of these transitions involve core excitations of a 3s Rydberg state configuration, resulting in a doubly excited electronic configuration (He(2ssigma/sub g/)/sup 2/(2ssigma/sub u/)(2p..pi../sub u/)/sup 4/(2psigma/sub g/)/sup 2/(3ssigma/sub g/)). Other transitions confirm that the E state is a mixture of a 3s Rydberg state with an X-ionic core and a 3p Rydberg state with an A-ionic core. 28 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.

Research Organization:
State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-80ER10660
OSTI ID:
5697100
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/10660-4; ON: DE86012915
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English