FOURIER-TRANSFORM MICROWAVE OBSERVATION OF SO (X-3-SIGMA, UPSILON=0-2) PRODUCED BY 193 NM PHOTODISSOCIATION OF SO2 IN A PULSED SUPERSONIC JET EXPANSION

SO (X(3)Sigma) radicals have been produced by 193 nm photodissociation of SO2 in a pulsed supersonic free jet expansion in Ar and detected u sing a molecular beam-Fourier transform microwave spectrometer with a semi-confocal cavity. The performance of the spectrometer was optimize d by recording the SO (X(3)Sigma) microwave spectrum near 13000 MHz. T he J = 1 <-- 1, N = 2 <-- 1 transition of (SO)-S-32 was observed with a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 in a single photolysis laser and microwa ve shot. The corresponding spectrum of (SO)-S-34 was recorded with S-3 4 in natural abundance (4.2%). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.