Lifetime measurements of SO2 below the Clement's A-band

High resolution laser induced fluorescence spectrum of jet-cooled SO2 is recorded toward the blue side of the Clement's A-Band in the region of 314-319 nm. Time resolved fluorescence measurements have been carried out for all the prominent peaks in this region. Most of the peaks exhibited double exponential decay profiles. Some of the rovibronic bands exhibited quantum beats with strong quantum beats observed at 315.261 and 315.271 nm. This is the first observation of quantum beats in SO2 in the absence of any external magnetic or electric fields. The decay profiles of the beating rovibronic bands were fitted using a four-level model by least-squares fitting method. The fitting shows that all the measured bands were double exponential with a similar first lifetime of similar to 3 mu s and a varying second lifetime of the order of 1 mu s-100 ns with a beating frequency of similar to 1 MHz. These quantum beats, in the absence of any external field, indicate rotational level mixing between the A (1)A(2) and the B B-1(1) vibronic states which are near resonant due to the high density of states of these two states. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.