Eur. Phys. J. D 39, 373-378 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2006-00116-1

Radiative lifetimes of the NaRb C(3)¹Σ⁺ state: experiment and theory

¹ Department of Physics and Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia, Riga, 1586, Latvia
² Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119899, Russia

Corresponding author: ^a ferber@latnet.lv

Received: 13 February 2006
Published online: 7 June 2006

Abstract

Radiative lifetimes for 2≤v^′≤44 rovibronic C¹Σ⁺ state levels of NaRb and quenching collision cross-sections with Rb atoms have been directly measured in a thermal cell by detecting time resolved laser induced fluorescence after pulsed excitation. Many body multipartitioning theory was applied to calculate C¹Σ⁺-X¹Σ⁺ and C¹Σ⁺-A¹Σ⁺ transition dipole moments. The relevant ab initio matrix elements were converted to the C¹Σ⁺ state radiative lifetimes. The strong spin-orbit A¹Σ⁺∼ b³Π coupling effect on the total C → A transition probabilities and lifetimes of the C¹Σ⁺ state is discussed. The measured radiative lifetimes show a decrease from 61 to 34 ns as the v^′ values increase, the results being in good agreement with calculations. The averaged collisional quenching cross-section value σ=(3±1)×10^-14 cm² was determined for NaRb (C¹Σ⁺) + Rb collisions from the Stern-Volmer plots.