Time Resolved Absorption Studies in a Shock Tube: A New Band System of BaO

Time resolved absorption studies have been carried out through the hot gas behind reflected shock waves during their interaction with powdered barium compounds A capillary-type flash tube with a short pulse duration and high brightness temperature was used as the background source. A new system of BaO, probably resulting from a B(? 1 II)-X 1 σ transition, has been found in absorption, and vibrationally analysed. The constants derived for the upper state of the system were T e = 32866.4 cm -1 , ω e = 488 cm -1 and ω e x e =3.6cm -1 . A band of zinc oxide possibly due to a polyatomic emitter has been recorded in emission from the luminosity produced during the shock excitation of powdered zinc compounds.