RECENT ADVANCES IN ROVIBRATIONALLY RESOLVED FTIR SUPERSONIC JET SPECTROSCOPY OF TRANSIENTS, WEAKLY-BOUND DIMERS AND TRIMERS

Recent advances in the development and application of a highly sensiti ve near infrared FTIR supersonic jet spectrometer are reported. Invest igations of: v(1) OC-HF; v(1), v(2) OC-HCl; v(1) +, v(2)+/- (HCl)(2); v(1), v(1)+/-v(2)(1): Ar-HCl and v(1) N-2-HCl will be presented. In sp ecific cases, a direct comparison with corresponding spectra recorded using tunable near infrared laser supersonic jet and molecular beam ab sorption spectrometers will be made to illustrate the current capabili ties and limitations of the FTIR supersonic jet spectrometer. As an ex ample of the application of the technique to clusters, we report a stu dy of the v(5) HCl asymmetric stretching band in the trimer, (HCl)(3). Some preliminary studies of discharge-generated species will also be reported using the jet spectrometer. The latter include: i) the invest igation of vibrational hot bands in CO and ii) A(2)II(3/2,1/2)-->X(2) Sigma(+) rovibronic transitions in the CN radical.