SPECTRAL SIMULATION AND INTERPRETATION OF LIZN AND LICD BLUE-GREEN EMISSION

Excited LiZn and LiCd molecules are produced in a photochemical reacti on between Li2(C1PI(u)) molecules and zinc or cadmium atoms. Changes i n shape of the blue-green emission are observed by increasing the tota l vapor pressure in the heat pipe oven. Quantum mechanical spectral si mulations are carried out for the relevant 2 2PI --> X 2SIGMA+ transit ions. Both bound-bound and bound-free types of transitions are found t o play an important role in the overall blue-green spectra. For high c ollision frequencies (high total vapor pressure) the simulated spectra show very good agreement with observations if a thermal distribution in the 2 2PI states is assumed. In this case bound-bound transitions a re dominant. The results for low collision frequencies indicate that t he nascent distribution is non-Boltzmann and that bound-free transitio ns are dominant.