Laser spectroscopy of CdKr molecules in ultraviolet region

Excitation spectra of the A0(+)(5(3)P(1)) <-- X0(+)(5(1)S(0)), B1(5(3)P(1)) <-- X0(+) and D1(5(1)P(1)) <-- X0(+) transitions as well as a fluorescence spectrum of the D1(nu' = 16) --> X0(+) transition in CdKr van der Waals molecule has been recorded in an experiment of a continuous supersonic molecular beam crossed with a pulsed dye laser beam. A rigorous analysis of the excitation spectra based on Birge-Sponer and LeRoy-Bernstein methods aided with a computer calculation, utilizing a program of near dissociation expansion lead to the X0(+)- and improved A0(+)-, B1- and D1-state characterizations. Evidence of a theoretically predicted potential barrier within the B1-state well was found and discussed with regard to the latest result of ab initio calculation. An analysis of bound-bound and bound-free parts of the fluorescence spectrum confirmed a nu'-assignment and indicated that Morse and Maitland-Smith M-S (n(0), n(1)) functions are adequate representations of the bound well and repulsive wall of the X0(+)-state potential energy curve, respectively. All spectroscopic characteristics obtained in this work are compared with newest theoretical studies of this complex. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.