Electronically excited C2 from laser photodissociated C60

Spectral and transient emission measurements are made of radiation from products of laser excitation of buckminsterfullerene (C-60) vapor diluted in argon at 973 K. The principal radiation is from the Swan band system of C-2 and, at early times, also from a black-body continuum. Transient measurements indicate two characteristic periods of decay 2 and 50 mu s long, with characteristic decay times of similar to 0.3 and 5 mu s, respectively. The first period is thought to be associated with decomposition and radiative cooling of C-60 molecules or nano-sized carbon particles and the second period continues with decomposition products of laser excited C-60, C-58, C-56, etc. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.