LASER SPECTROSCOPY OF LAF - LIGAND FIELD-THEORY ASSIGNMENT OF THE TRIPLET-STATE MANIFOLD AND ANALYSIS OF HYPERFINE-STRUCTURE

Wavelength-resolved fluorescence excitation techniques have been used to record eight electronic transitions of LaF at a resolution of 0.03 cm(-1). With few exceptions, Omega assignments were unambiguously determined from observations of the first lines in at least two rotational branches. Accurate term energies and rotational constants are reported. Ligand field-theory calculations and hyperfine constants were used to suggest configurational assignments for the excited states of LaF.