Diode-laser absorption spectroscopy of supersonic carbon cluster beams:  the nu 3 spectrum of C5.
A new spectroscopic experiment has been developed in which rovibrational transitions of supersonically cooled carbon clusters, which were produced by laser vaporization of graphite, have been measured by direct-absorption diode-laser spectroscopy.  Thirty-six sequential rovibrational lines of the nu 3 band of the C5 carbon cluster have been measured with Doppler-limited resolution.  The absorption spectrum is characteristic of a linear molecule with a center of symmetry.  Least-squares analysis of the spectrum indicates an effective carbon-carbon bond length of 1.283  angstroms, in good agreement with ab initio quantum chemical calculations.  This work confirms the detection of C5 in IRC + 10216 reported in the accompanying paper.
Heath
J R
JR
Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.
Cooksy
A L
AL
Gruebele
M H
MH
Schmuttenmaer
C A
CA
Saykally
R J
RJ
D055580:Astronomical Phenomena; D001256:Astronomy; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D007834:Lasers; D011789:Quantum Theory; D016082:Solar System; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*
D002244:Carbon