High-resolution spectroscopy of I2 using laser-molecularbeam techniques

Abstract

Laser‐molecular‐beam techniques have been used to observe the hyperfine structure of molecular I₂. A 5145‐Å argon laser, tuneable over 0.05 Å, is used to induce fluorescence in a molecular beam of I₂. The measured width of the individual I₂ transitions is 3 MHz, i.e., a resolution of 5×10⁻⁹. The natural width of the lines has been estimated to be less than 800 kHz.