Determination of electric dipole moments and transition probabilities of low-lying singlet states of CO

Transitions from the X 1Σ+(v=0) ground state of the carbon monoxide molecule to the electronically excited A 1Π(v=0), B 1Σ+(v=0), and C 1Σ+(v=0) states have been studied by 2-photon laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Accurate molecular constants for the B and C state have been determined. The electric dipole moments for all three electronically excited states have been deduced from the observed Stark effects. The dipole moments for the A, B, and C states are found to be 0.335±0.013, 1.95±0.03, and 4.50±0.07 D, respectively. From the observed radiative lifetimes the transition probabilities of the B–A, B–X and C–B, C–A, and C–X transitions have been determined.