FLUORESCENCE DETECTION OF THE METASTABLE O(D-1) ATOM

The metastable O(D-1) atom was detected by a fluorescence technique. T he energy transfer process O(D-1) + O-2 --> O + O-2(b(1) Sigma(g)(+)) is effective in generating the 762 nm fluorescence from the transition O-2(b(1) Sigma(g)(+) --> X-3 Sigma(g)(-)). Using this method, the yie ld of O(D-1) from photodissociating O-2 in the wavelength range 130-17 5 nm was measured using the vacuum ultraviolet light from a synchrotro n radiation as the exciting source. The parent molecular states were i dentified from the photodissociation spectrum.