LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE AND FOURIER-TRANSFORM SPECTROSCOPY OF TIO - AN IMPROVED DESCRIPTION OF THE DELTA-3 GROUND-STATE

Laser-induced fluorescence spectra of the C3Δ-X3Δ and B3Π-X3Δ transitions of TiO have been recorded at high resolution by Fourier transform spectroscopy. For the molecule production, a simple flame reaction device was used. This device was based on a titanium hollow cathode sputtering source used with O2 or N2O as oxidant. Experimental data involving vibrational progressions up to v″ = 6 have been fitted with standard Hamiltonian matrix models, allowing for an improved description of the ground state. Moreover, a merged fit combining new LIF-data and previous high-resolution emission data on the B-X band system has been performed, yielding the best set of ground state molecular constants for TiO available to this date. © 1991.