Electronic absorptions of C5 + detected in the visible through action spectroscopy in a cryogenic trap

Abstract

The electronic spectrum of C in the gas-phase with origin band at is reported following experiments in a cryogenic ion trapping instrument. Buffer gas-cooled C ions, generated by laser vaporisation of graphite, were investigated using two action spectroscopy approaches. Laser-induced dissociation of weakly bound complexes synthesised in the trap reveal a linear dependence of the absorption energies on n allowing prediction of those of the bare ion C. These results are confirmed in two colour experiments on C, by monitoring fragmentation into the product channel. The data are supplemented with high-level electronic structure calculations which support the assignment of symmetry to the ground electronic state. These laboratory results provide the requisite data needed for spectroscopic detection of this structure in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.