title: Diode-laser absorption spectroscopy of supersonic carbon cluster beams:  the nu 3 spectrum of C5.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cooksy
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Gruebele
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schmuttenmaer
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Saykally
mesh_terms: D055580:Astronomical Phenomena; D001256:Astronomy; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D007834:Lasers; D011789:Quantum Theory; D016082:Solar System; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon