Knowledge Bank

The technique of laser excitation and laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy is applied to the $A~2A1-X~2E$ system of $CH3O$. The methoxy radical is produced by the infrared multiphoton dissociation of methyl nitrite by a pulsed $CO2$ TEA laser. Following the $CO2$ laser pulse, a pulse from a doubled dye laser is contra-propagated to the $CO2$ laser pulse, and laser induced fluorescence from the methoxy radical is collected at right angles. Under collisionless conditions fluorescence spectra from single features in the excitation spectrum are recorded. By the addition of cold the He buffer gas, $T=140K,$ a rotationally cold excitation spectrum may be observed. Preliminary results of the ongoing analysis will be presented.