Absorption cross-sections and lifetime of the 3A2 `metastableʹ state of ozone

From the analysis of the lineshape of narrow lines observed in the 000 absorption band of the Wulf transition, we have confirmed the metastable character of the excited 3A2 (v′1=0, v′2=0, v′3=0) level in agreement with recent ab initio determinations. However, as all the rotational lines are broadened by predissociations the effective lifetime of this state is at most of the order of 10−9 s for the excited state of the assigned less broadened lines.