We report on the theoretical study of qusimolecular absorption and emission near the forbidden atomic line Cd (5(3)P(2) - 5(1)S(0)) induced by interaction with rare gas atoms (argon and krypton). With the use of the semiempirical method of quasimiolecular term analysis and the available experimental data, the potential curves for the Cd* + Kr and Cd* + Ar systems and the radiative widths were obtained. In the calculation the full semiempirical procedure was used for the first time. Also the probabilities of the nu'1(P-3(2)) - nu '' 0+(S-1(0)) transitions and the radiative lifetimes of the metastable 1(P-3(2)) states of Cd-Kr and Cd-Ar quasimolecules as functions of the vibrational excitation degree were calculated. Based on these semiempirical results the processes of the collision-induced quasimolecular absorption and emission near the forbidden atomic line Cd(5(1)S(0) - 5(3)P(2)) in mixtures of Cd vapor with Ar and Kr atoms have been considered and the absorption coefficients, emission spectra and the total rate constants of radiative depopulation of the metastable state of Cd have been determined. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.