Knowledge Bank

The electronic transition spectrum of ruthenium monoxide (RuO) molecule in the spectral region between 545nm to 640nm has been recorded and analyzed using laser ablation/reaction free-jet expansion and laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy. The RuO molecule was produced by reacting laser- ablated ruthenium atoms with N$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">2</mrow>}$O seeded in argon. Nine vibrational bands were recorded and they are identified to be belonging to four electronic transition systems, namely the [18.1]$\Omega$ = 4 - X$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Delta 4$ transition, [16.0]$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Phi 5$ - X$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Delta 4$ transition, [18.1]$\Omega$ = 3 - X$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Delta 3$, and [15.8] $\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Phi 4$ - X$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Delta 3$ transition. RuO has been determined to have a X$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">5</mrow>}\Delta 4$ ground state. A least squares fit of the measured rotational lines yielded molecular constants for the ground and the low-lying electronic states. A molecular orbital energy level diagram has been used to help with the assignment of the observed electronic states.