DETERMINATION OF NUCLEAR-QUADRUPOLE COUPLING-CONSTANTS OF NAOH, KOH, RBOH, AND CSOH AND ELECTRIC-DIPOLE MOMENT OF NAOH

The J = 1 <-- 0 rotational transitions of NaOH, KOH, RbOH, and CsOH we re observed using a Fourier transform microwave spectrometer coupled w ith a laser ablation source. Well resolved hyperfine structure has bee n observed, yielding precise values of the nuclear quadrupole coupling constants eQq for alkali metal atoms. The excited vibrational state, v(2) = 2 and I = 0, was also observed for all species. The resulting v alues of eQq's for the excited vibrational states differ little from t hose of the ground vibrational states. When the long-pulse mode of the Nd:YAG laser was used instead of the Q-switched mode, the Stark effec t of NaOH was successfully observed. The dipole moment of NaOH was det ermined to be 22.79(3) x 10(-30) Cm [6.832(9) D] from the Stark effect . The uncertainties shown are three Standard deviations. (C) 1996 Acad emic Press, Inc.