Electronically excited C2 from laser photodissociated C60

Spectral and transient emission measurements are made of radiation from products of laser excitation of buckminsterfullerene (C60) vapor diluted in argon at 973 K. The principal radiation is from the Swan band system of C2 and, at early times, also from a black-body continuum. Transient measurements indicate two characteristic periods of decay 2 and 50 μs long, with characteristic decay times of ∼0.3 and 5 μs, respectively. The first period is thought to be associated with decomposition and radiative cooling of C60 molecules or nano-sized carbon particles and the second period continues with decomposition products of laser excited C60, C58, C56, etc.