| A 10.6 (mu)m CO(,2) laser operating a power range S P 200 watts was used to pump some select vibrational transitions in the NO(,2) molecule while monitoring the rotational transitions (9(,1,9) (--->) 10(,0,10)), (23(,2,22) (--->) 24(,2,23)), (40(,2,38) (--->) 39(,3,37)) in the (0, 0, 0) vibrational level and the (8(,0,8) (--->) 7(,1,7)) rotational transition in the (0, 1, 0) vibrational level. These rotational transitions were monitored by microwave probing to determine how the population of states in the rotational manifolds were being altered by the laser. Coincidences between some components of the (nu)(,3)-(nu)(,2) band of NO(,2) and the CO(,2) infrared laser lines in the 10 (mu)m region appeared to be responsible for the strong interaction between the continuous laser beams and the molecular states.; The same CO(,2) laser was used to establish the nature of the coupling with the SO(,2). There is a weak coupling of the R-branch of the CO(,2) laser at 986 cm('-1) to the SO(,2) molecule. The laser is made incident upon the SO(,2) while the rotational transitions (4(,0,4) (--->) 3(,1,3)), (8(,1,7) (--->) 7(,2,6)), (8(,2,6) (--->) 9(,1,9)), (15(,4,12) (--->) 16(,3,13)), (16(,2,14) (--->) 17(,1,7)), (17(,2,16) (--->) 16(,3,13)), (21(,3,19) (--->) 20(,4,16)), (21(,5,17) (--->) 22(,4,18)), (30(,5,25) (--->) 29(,6,24)), (31(,5,25) (--->) 30(,6,24)), (35(,6,30) (--->) 34(,7,27)) and (51(,9,43) (--->) 50(,10,40)) in the (0, 0, 0) vibrational level, the (19(,2,18) (--->) 18(,3,15)), (23(,2,22) (--->) 22(,3,19)) rotational transitions in the (0, 1, 0) vibrational level and the (26(,6,20) (--->) 27(,5,23)) rotational transition in the (0, 0, 1) vibrational level are monitored. There appear to be three basic behaviour patterns we denote as being regular, phase changing, and irregular intensity changing in character.; Characteristic rate curves for population-depopulation changes in the chosen rotational levels listed above were found for various power levels from the laser pump and are presented in this work.; Rate coefficients for intensity decay for various laser powers were calculated from experimental data and are presented. |
