EXPERIMENTAL-DETERMINATION OF THE DYNAMIC DIPOLE POLARIZABILITY OF THE CADMIUM ATOM

Dispersive Fourier-transform spectroscopy in the visible (DFTS-VIS) is used to obtain the refractive index spectrum n(sigma, rho, T) of cadm ium vapour in the wavenumber range between 10000 and 20000 cm(-1). We will demonstrate that use of a carefully designed Michelson interferom eter is capable of yielding these spectra up to temperatures of 1100 K . In addition the dependence of n(sigma, rho, T) on density yields the dispersion of the dipole polarizability alpha(sigma) of atomic cadmiu m.