LIFETIME MEASUREMENTS OF ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED C3((PI)-1(U)) RADICALS IN DIFFERENT VIBRATIONAL-STATES

The radiative lifetimes of nine vibrational levels of the C3(1Πu) radical were obtained from decay time studies of the C3(1Πu → 1Σ+ g) fluorescence induced by a tunable dye laser. The lifetimes of the different vibronic levels were found to be constant within the experimental error limits, namely, τo = (200 ± 10) ns. The collisional deactivation of the C3(1Πu) states by helium gives rate constants between 2.5 and 4 in 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 units. © 1979.