The complete UV spectrum of SO2 and electron impact. II - The middle ultraviolet spectrum

Measurements of the middle ultraviolet (MUV) electron impact induced fluorescence spectrum of SO2 from 200 to 430 nm in a crossed beam experiment are reported. The spectrum is dominated by two features at the experimental resolution of 0.5 nm; these two features are referred to as MUV1 and MUV2. MUV1 is the SO band system extending from 240 to 265 nm produced by dissociative excitation. MUV2 is a blend of the SO2 and SO2(+) molecular band systems in the range 264-430 nm. The excitation function measurements of MUV2 indicate that low-energy electrons effectively prepare SO2 in one or more electronically excited triplet states that involve the SO2 state by direct excitation and/or cascading. The peak cross section for MUV1 occurs at 20 eV with a value of 25.0 +/-5.5 x 10 exp -19 sq cm. The peak cross section for MUV2 arises at 9 eV with a value of 368 +/-81 x 10 exp -19 sq cm. The laboratory results provide a plausible explanation of the Io auroral hot spots observed by Voyager 2.