THE DISSOCIATION ENERGY OF $CS_{2}$

Abstract

By means of high resolution laser polarization spectroscopy of the C-X $system^{1}$ a new excited state in the cesium dimer, the `D' - state was observed. Dye laser excitation within this $D^{1}{\Sigma^{+}}_{u}\leftarrow X^{1}{\Sigma^{+}}_{g}$ system yields extended fluorescence progressions ranging from $\nu""=0$ up to $\nu"" = 140$. The analysis of the fluorescence spectra and the application of the Leroy-Bernstein method to the determination of the dissociation limit results in a dissociation energy of $D_{e} = 3648 \pm 5 cm^{-1}$, which is two orders of magnitude more accurate than previously known.