Production and spectroscopy of PbF and SiF radical molecules in low-pressure inductively coupled plasma

Abstract

A method for producing PbF radical molecules with application of a low-pressure inductively coupled plasma is proposed. The emission spectra of PbF radical molecules have been recorded during decomposition of the PbF2 compound in plasma. Simultaneously, during excitation of a discharge in a quartz tube, spectra of SiF molecules, excited upon interaction of free fluorine with the tube walls, were recorded. Quantum-mechanical calculation of the Franck-Condon factors has been perform to identify the observed spectra.