Spectra and lifetimes of triatomic hydrogen molecules

Abstract

Excited neutral triatomic hydrogen molecules were formed by charge transfer to beams of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], D2H+, and H2D+ ions. The density of the molecules generated was high enough to investigate their spectra in the visible region. The lifetimes of some rovibronic states of the neutral molecules were measured from the decrease of the line intensities behind the charge-exchange region.