This program is jointly funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program and the Special Projects Office to initiate a summer research program in diatomic molecular spectroscopy involving undergraduates at the end of their freshman and sophomore years. Professor Tellinghuisen is providing organized and informal instruction equivalent to an undergraduate course in diatomic spectroscopy, while involving the students in real spectroscopic experiments and spectral analysis. This program is contributing to the spectroscopic data base, while also training undergraduates in research methods valuable in their later careers. A major goal of this project is achieving success in increasing the number of undergraduates choosing a science career by involving them in a research project early in their education. Systems studied include molecules potentially of importance in the media of electronic transition lasers, including diatomic halogens, rare gas halides, and metal halides. Spectra are generated in mild tesla discharges at ambient or lower temperatures. The dispersed spectra are recorded on photographic film or plates at a typical resolution of 200,000.
