Radiative lifetimes of the B′^2 Δ state (v′ = 0,…,8) of NO obtained by vacuum-ultraviolet laser excitation

Radiative lifetimes of rovibronic levels of the B', (2)Delta state of NO (from u' = 0,. . . ,8) have been obtained along with those of the perturbing levels F(2)Delta(u' = 0,1,2) and N(2)Delta(u' = 0). The resolution (~0.1 cm(-1)) and intensity of the coherent tunable VUV source permitted excitation of individual rotational levels and measurement of corresponding fluorescence intensity. Lifetimes for u' = 0, . . . ,8 levels of the B' (2)Delta state were found to be in the range tau(0)~ 220 +/- 20 nsec, which is approximately twice the values reported for electron-excitation experiments.