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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization
Published on: August 6, 2018
The lifetime of the A2Sigmau+ state of the N3 radical
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University (CSU) Long Beach, Long Beach, California 90840, USA. cbrazier@csulb.edu
Abstract:
The lifetime of the A 2Sigmau+ state of N3 has been determined from line broadening in the rotationally resolved laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectrum of the A 2Sigmau+-X 2Pig transition. N3 radicals, produced by fluorine atom abstraction from HN3, were probed with an intracavity doubled ring laser operating near 272 nm. Careful examination of the LIF spectrum indicates a significant Lorentzian component to the line shape due to a rapid predissociation in the A 2Sigmau+ state. The predissociation lifetime is found to be 132+/-21 ps for the 000 vibrational level and 64+/-10 ps for the 010 level. The short lifetime is consistent with the low intensity of the LIF signal especially for the 010-010 hot band.
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