Photodissociation of Na2 and Rb2: Analysis of atomic fine structure of 2P products

Abstract

Sodium and rubidium dimers are photodissociated with the use of an argon ion laser. The sodium dimers constitute a fraction of a supersonic molecular beam, while the rubidium dimers are part of a vapor. The intensity of the emitted atomic D1 and D2 lines is measured as a function of the laser wavelength. The sodium is excited to the B state, which then dissociates to 2S1/2 and 2Pj atoms. At two of the laser wavelengths the sodium fluorescence originates entirely from the j=3/2 fine structure level. The rubidium, with most laser lines, is excited to the C state which is then predissociated by the B state to yield 2S1/2+2P3/2 atoms. The data are compared with those of other experiments and are analyzed with the use of previously published atom–molecule correlation diagrams. The dissociation proceeds more simply than has been suggested by others.