LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE AND DISCHARGE EMISSION SPECTRA OF VO AND CrO

$^{1}$M. Ninomiya, J. Phys. Soc, Japan 10, 829 (1955). $^{2}$D. Richards and R. F. Barrow, Nature 217, 842 (1968).""Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, University of British ColumbiaThe emission spectra of VO and CrO in the visible region have been photographed at high dispersion on a 7 meter Ebert spectrograph, and detailed rotational analyses of the transitions In the 6000 {\AA} region are in progress. Laser-induced fluorescence has also been observed for both molecules; this is proving to be of great value in making quantum number assignments In difficult regions of the spectra, and has allowed us to obtain much higher resolution than the grating spectra give. The $A^{5}\Pi-X^{5}\Pi$ transition of CrO is not as simple as the previous $analysis^{1}$ suggests: all five sub-bands show A-doubling, and there are many rotational perturbations, A second excited state $(?^{5} \Sigma)$, which appears weakly in our new spectra, appears to be responsible for the perturbations. The $C^{4}\Sigma^{-}-X^{4}\Sigma^{-}$ transition of VO is exceptionally complicated. Broadening of certain of the lines as a result of vanadium nuclear hyper-fine effects had been noted in previous analyses;$^{2}$ in our new spectra the eight hyperfine components of many of the lines are completely resolved. Rotational perturbations are widespread, and extra heads caused by the perturbing states $(?^{4} \Pi)$ have been found; the hyperfine structure is slightly irregular where the perturbations occur