Lifetime measurements of the E 1Π, υ=0 and υ=1 states of 12C16O, 13C16O, and 13C18O

In a laboratory investigation using tunable picosecond lasers in a pump-probe configuration, lifetimes of the E (II)-I-1, v = O and v = 1 states of CO are experimentally determined. For E (II)-I-1, v = 1, the lifetime is found to vary significantly for the isotopomers. Combining the data with existing oscillator strengths, predissociation probabilities within the range of 93.6%-98.64% result for (CO)-C-12-O-16, (CO)-C-13-O-16, and (CO)-C-13-O-18 in, the case of the E (II)-I-1, v=1 state, which is the state that predominantly influences the isotopic fractionation of CO in interstellar clouds.