The carbon monoxide flame bands

Abstract

The carbon monoxide flame bands have been photographed under high resolution from an afterglow source. Bands in the wavelength range 3100 to 3800 Å show a pattern which has been reproduced by calculations of the energies of high vibrational levels of the ground state of CO 2 . The structure of this energy level pattern is strongly affected by extensive Fermi resonance in the 1 Σ + g state. The spectrum is emitted by excited CO 2 molecules which radiate to the ground state from the lowest vibrational level and from the v ´ 2 = 1 level of a B 2 state. This excited state lies approximately 46 000 cm -1 above the lowest level of the ground state, an d has an OCO angle of 122 + 2° and a CO bond length of 1*246 ± 0*008 Å. Combination of these results with the work of other authors shows that the excited state is a 1 B 2 state, and that the carbon monoxide flame bands are associated with the weak absorption system of CO 2 at 1475 Å.