RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE AND XENON SENSITIZATION OF CO(A 1II-]X 1SIGMA+) SYSTEM

Methods of excitation of the CO(A 1∏) system have been investigated, and it has been demonstrated that resonance fluorescence is an extremely efficient process. Even the very low intensity CO fourth-positive (A 1∏→X 1∑+) contaminant emission observed in rare-gas resonance lamps gives strong fluorescence when minute amounts of CO are irradiated. It has been established that the Xe 1470-Å resonance line does not produce CO (A1∏). On the other hand, Xe sensitization gives intense fourth-positive emission by a collisional process involving the resonant Xe(3P1) state. Previous work had shown that three CO triplet states (d 3Δ, e 3∑-, and a′ 3∑+) are produced by Xe sensitization. Of the total singlet plus triplet emission, a fraction of 0.6±0.15 is from the A 1∏ state.