IMPROVED EXPERIMENTAL ENERGY-LEVELS OF CARBON-I FROM SOLAR INFRARED-SPECTRA

We have improved the energy levels in neutral carbon using high resolu tion infrared solar spectra The main source is the space-based ATMOS s pectrum measured by the Fourier transform spectroscopy technique from 600 to 4800 cm(-1). From these infrared data, we have determined 19 ne w energy levels in the 5f, 5g 6g and 6h configurations. To extend meas urements to higher frequencies, we also use other FTS solar spectra: t he MARK IV balloon data, covering from 4700 to 5700 cm(-1), and the gr ound-based NOAO spectra, up to 9000 cm(-1) of Livingston and Wallace a nd 8900 to 13 600 cm(-1) of Wallace et al. For completeness' sake, we include the 63 new levels found by Feldman et al. plus 8 new levels de rived from the VUV data. Utilizing all existing carbon spectra from th e far infrared to the vacuum ultraviolet, we have revised Johansson's energy levels and the ionization potential, resulting in improving the accuracy by about an order of magnitude to about 3 mK.