Knowledge Bank

The electronic spectrum of vanadium nitride has been studied in a molecular beam apparatus by laser-induced fluorescence. Rotational temperatures of ca. 25-30 K have been observed. Several electronic transitions have been observed at low resolution $(0.1cm-1)$ in the 4000-7500 A region. These have all been assigned. The (0,0) band of the $D3\Pi (\pi 3d1\delta 3d1)-X3\Delta (\sigma \ast \ast 1\delta 3d1)$ system is centered near 6240 A and has been investigated at high resolution (120 MHz). The nuclear magnetic hyperfine structure which arises from the interaction of a metal centered unpaired electron (chiefly the $\sigma 5\ast \ast$ electron) with the magnetic nucleus of vanadium (I-7/2) has been resolved and a preliminary analysis will be presented. Besides the three case (a) allowed sub-bands, which are very prominent, three weak satellite bands could be observed at high resolution and their analyses permitted the triplet splittings to be determined. A transition centered near 6165 A has been ascribed as the (0,0) band of the $d1\Sigma \ast -x3\Delta 1$ intercombination system. This band has been investigated at high resolution and a rotational analysis has been completed.