Experimental studies of mercury molecules

Optically excited fluorescence spectra in pure mercury vapor have been studied over the spectral range 240--600 nm for temperatures between 400--1000 K and densities between 5 x 1016--2 x 1019 cm-3. Absorption measurements were made over the spectral range 253--334 nm, and both structured and continuum bands were observed. Several types of two photon experiments were also performed in order to probe the excited states of the mercury dimer. In addition, the mercury spectrum from mercury vapor--noble gas mixtures has also been studied for noble gas pressures up to 1 atm