Emission spectroscopy of a new (2)Delta-1(2)Delta system of VO

High-resolution spectra of VO have been reinvestigated in the 12000-31000 cm(-1) region. VO was produced in a vanadium hollow cathode lamp by discharging 1.5 Torr of Ar and the spectra were recorded using a Fourier transform spectrometer. The oxygen needed to produce VO was present in the system as an impurity. Three new bands observed in the 21000-22100 cm(-1) region have been attributed to a new (2)Delta-1(2)Delta electronic transition of VO. Two bands, with origins near 21044 and 22038 cm(-1), have been assigned as the 0-1 and 0-0 bands of the (2)A(3/2)-1(2)Delta(3/2) sub-band while a weak band with an origin near 21975 cm(-1) has been assigned as the 0-0 band of the corresponding (2)Delta(5/2)-1(2)Delta(5/2) sub-band. A rotational analysis of these sub-bands has been obtained and spectroscopic constants have been extracted. The 1(2)Delta state is known from the previous analyses of the doublet transitions of VO in the near infrared. The present observation has allowed the determination of the vibrational interval DeltaG(1/2) and the equilibrium rotational constants for the 1(2)Delta(3/2) state. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.