Photodepletion Spectroscopy And Predissociation Of The Na-3 A '((2)A '(1)) State

The A'((2)A'(1)) <-- X(E-2') system of the sodium trimer Na-3 was studied by photodepletion in a supersonic molecular beam, in which the ion signal of Na-3(+) generated by one-photon ionization of Na-3 ((XE)-E-2') with an excimer laser decreased when an excimer-pumped dye laser was also applied prior to the ionizing laser to excite the neutral Na-3 from the (XE)-E-2' ground state to the A' state. Photodepletion spectra were recorded in the wavelength range 700-780 nm with a spectral resolution of 7.5 GHz of the pulsed dye Iaser. The strongest depletion was found at wavelengths around 740 nm with a measured depletion cross-section of about 1.2 Angstrom(2). Structures with typical widths between 10 and 30 cm(-1) were observed in the photodepletion spectra and are attributed to vibronic bands in the A' state. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.