An investigation into the growth and decay of the 7s P-3(1)0 and the 7s (3)p(0)(0) states of atomic lead via atomic emission at 283.3, 364.0, 368.4, and 405.8 nm following the 193 nm photodissociation of PbI2(g) and PbBr2(g) is reported. The kinetics of these Pb states were studied as a function of lead dihalide pressure, buffer gas pressure, cell temperature, and laser fluence. Three growth and decay mechanisms, giving three peaks of intensity vs time, were identified that overlapped and sometimes coincided in time. In the fastest mechanism, the temporal behavior of the ph excited state populations followed the photolysis pulse (fwhm = 15 ns) intensity. In the intermediate time mechanism, the Pb excited-state populations appear to grow and decay with equal specific rates of similar to 10(7) s(-1). The slowest mechanism appears to involve collisions with lead dihalides for both the growth and the decay. Some possible mechanisms are proposed.