Abstract
The photodissociation spectra of Cu3 and Cu3Ar have been recorded from 500 nm to 550 nm. The spectrum of Cu3 shows a number of resolved vibronic bands in 522–538 nm range, in accord with the previous observations of Morse et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 79, 5316 (1983)]. By contrast, the spectrum of Cu3Ar shows no resolved vibronic structure and is displaced over 20 nm to the blue of the Cu3 Ã←X̃ origin at 539.8 nm. In addition, the oscillator strength of the Cu3Ar absorption band is a factor of six times larger than that of Cu3. These results are discussed in light of the known photophysical and spectroscopic properties of Cu3.