LASER-INDUCED KERR-CONSTANTS FOR ALKANOIC ACIDS AT 532 AND 1064 NM INDUCING WAVELENGTHS

The nanosecond optical Kerr constants of a series of alkanoic acids fr om formic acid to nonanoic acid have been measured at the two inducing wavelengths of 532 and 1064 nm. Results indicate that the values are of similar magnitude to a previous study of the 1-alkyne series and ex hibit a similar behaviour of relatively invariant values amongst the h igher members of the series. This effect is attributed to the dominant contribution of the carbonyl group to the observed optical Kerr const ant.