DOPPLER-FREE STUDY OF THE TiO MOLECULE

Abstract

We have studied the yellow-orange absorption spectrum of the TiO molecule by use of a Doppler-free spectroscopy experiment in which a cw tunable laser beam crosses an effusive beam of titanium monoxide. Thousands of wavenumbers belonging to the $B^{3}\Pi - X^{3} \Delta(1-0)$ and $c^{1}\Phi -a^1 \Delta(0-0)$ bands have been measured to an accuracy of $10^{-3} cm^{-1}$ and interpreted in terms of molecular constants. For the first $band^{a}$, analysis of fine structure and A-doubling shows that the electronic structure of the $B^{3}\Pi$ state must be revisited. For the second $band^{b}$, electronic interactions with distant vibrational levels of the $c^{3} \Delta$ state must be considered to assign high rotational levels. Analysis of the spectra due to the five isotopes of titanium is on the tracks.