Time-resolved Spectroscopic Studies of the 7p 2p States of Neutral Silver Following Vuv Excitation

The radiative lifetimes of the 7 p2P3/2, 1/2 states of silver and the hyperfine structure of the 7 p2P3/2 state have been measured using pulsed laser excitation and direct observation of the induced fluorescence light decay. In order to excite this doublet, VUV radiation at 185 nm was applied, as generated by frequency tripling and anti-Stokes Raman shifting of the output of a Nd: YAG laser pumped dye laser. The lifetimes were found to be tau = 255(20) ns and tau = 285(25) ns for the J = 3/2 state and J = 1/2 state, respectively. The hyperfine structure of the 7 p2P3/2 state was measured by the quantum beat method. The magnetic dipole interaction constant for the Ag-107 isotope was found to be a = - 4.5(2) MHZ.