Optogalvanic spectroscopy and hyperfine structure studies in praseodymium

The atomic spectra of praseodymium have been recorded using laser optogalvanic spectroscopy in a hollow cathode discharge over an extended range for the first time. About 78 atomic transitions of Pr I and 43 transitions and Pr II have been identified and their visual estimate of relative intensities are tabulated in the spectral range 5760-6250 A. The laser optogalvanic spectroscopy is also used to record the hyperfine structure of the 6055.13, 5874.72, 5821.36 and 5779.28 A transitions in Pr I. The large hyperfine splittings of the levels involved enabled us to resolve the hyperfine components even in the Doppler limited experiments and to obtain the hyperfine constants for the lower and upper levels involved. (orig.)