Knowledge Bank

Synchrotron radiation from the new Canadian Light Source facility has been used to obtain a high resolution (0.0012 \wn) absorption spectrum of acrolein, CH$2$CHCHO, in the 550-660 \wn region. Almost 2000 transitions have been included in a detailed analysis of the \nub{12} ($\sim$564\backslash wn)and\backslash nub17($\sim$593 \wn) fundamental bands to obtain precise values for the band origins, rotational and centrifugal distortion parameters. The analysis included the $a$- and $b$-type Coriolis interactions connecting \nub{12} and \nub{17}, as well as an $a$-type Coriolis interaction between \nub{17} and a ``dark" perturbing state, identified as 4\nub{18}. We believe that this is the first high resolution infrared study of acrolein.