Chemical Physics Letters, Vol.320, No.1-2, 26-34, 2000
Electronically excited C-2 from laser photodissociated C-60
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.