Absorption oscillator strengths of 18 intersystem bands of CO between 1360
and 1620 Angstrom originating from the ground state and involving the a(')
(3)Sigma(+), e (3)Sigma(-), and d (3)Delta states have been measured using
synchrotron radiation as a background source. They have also been calculate
d using the published molecular parameters provided by the standard spectro
scopic perturbation analysis, including the spin-orbit interaction with the
nearby A (1)Pi state. It was found, however, that the model used in that a
nalysis had to be extended in order to take into account the contributions
of several vibrational levels of the A state to the intensity of a given si
nglet-triplet band. The present measurements are in good agreement with the
predictions of this extended model. The puzzling discrepancies reported ea
rlier between oscillator strength or rotationally resolved lifetime measure
ments and standard calculations are now well understood as well as the temp
erature variation of some of these band-integrated oscillator strengths. Li
ne and band oscillator strengths of the intercombination transitions can no
w be reliably predicted at all temperatures and used for the measurement of
large CO column densities, especially in interstellar molecular clouds, wh
en the allowed bands normally used are saturated. (C) 2000 American Institu
te of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)01102-8].