NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Ozone absorption spectroscopy in search of low-lying electronic statesA spectrometer capable of detecting ozone absorption features 9 orders of magnitude weaker than the Hartley band has been employed to investigate the molecule's near-infrared absorption spectrum. At this sensitivity a wealth of information on the low-lying electronically excited states often believed to play a role in atmospheric chemistry is available in the form of vibrational and rotational structure. We have analyzed these spectra using a combination of digital filtering and isotope substitution and find evidence for three electronically excited states below 1.5 eV. The lowest of these states is metastable, bound by approximately 0.1 eV and probably the (3)A2 rather than the (3)B2 state. Its adiabatic electronic energy is 1.24 +/- 0.01 eV, slightly above the dissociation energy of the ground state. Two higher states, at 1.29 +/- 0.03 and 1.48 +/- 0.03 eV are identified as the (3)B2 and the (3)B1, respectively. Combined with other recent theoretical and experimental data on the low-lying electronic states of ozone, these results imply that these are, in fact, the lowest three excited states; that is, there are no electronically excited states of ozone lying below the energy of O(3P) + O2((3)Sigma(-), v = 0). Some of the implications for atmospheric chemistry are considered.
Document ID
19950044664
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Anderson, S. M.
(Augsburg Coll., Minneapolis, MN United States)
Mauersberger, K.
(Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
February 20, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 100
Issue: D2
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Accession Number
95A76263
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available