Knowledge Bank

Resonance Raman scattering has been observed from a metastable form of $O2$ molecules $(O2\ast )$ that are produced in sodium chlorate by irradiation with $\gamma$ -rays at room temperature. An excitation profile of the $1544cm-1$ band indicates that the electronic transition coupled to the 0-0 stretching motion is located between $\sim 450and\sim 420$ nm. Linear depolarization ratios of the $1544cm-l$ band of $O2\ast$ were measured as a function of exciting line wavelength. An average value of $\rho 1\sim 0.42$ was found for z(xz)y and z(yx)y scattering, but a pronounced dispersion of $\rho l$ was observed with z(yz)y scattering.