The Stark effect in the predissociating Rydberg states of NO

Journal article

A spectroscopic study of the Stark effect in the predissociating v+ = 0 Rydberg states of nitric oxide, (n = 13-16) is reported. The states are excited by two-colour excitation via the A2+, v = 0, N = 0 state in the presence of a field in the range 0-1125 V cm-1, and the excitation is observed by using (2 + 1) REMPI detection of nitrogen (2D) atoms formed by predissociation. The spectra recorded over a range of fields are compared with, and show excellent agreement with, multichannel quantum defect theory (MQDT) simulations of the absorption spectra applied in the bound state formalism of Sakimoto [J. Phys. B. 22, 2727 (1989)]. The spectroscopy demonstrates the possibility of producing N(2D) or O(3P) atoms with very narrow centre-of-mass frame speed distributions and arbitrarily selected speed.

Authors: Clarson, B; Procter, SR; Goodgame, A; Softley, T

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: MOLECULAR PHYSICS
• Volume: 106
• Issue: 9-10
• Pages: 1317-1330
• Publication date: 2008-01-01
• DOI: 10.1080/00268970802298753
• EISSN: 1362-3028
• ISSN: 0026-8976
• Language: English
• Keywords: predissociation; Stark effect; Rydberg states