15min:

A. SHAYESTEH, I. GORDON, D. R. T. APPADOO, K. A. WALKER AND P. F. BERNATH, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.

The vibration-rotation spectra of gaseous CaH and SrH have been recorded in emission using a furnace-discharge source. Ca and Sr vapor were produced at 780^oC and 850^oC, respectively, and reacted with a few torr of hydrogen gas under a 3 kV / 333 mA discharge to produce the metal hydrides. The fundamental and first three hot bands, v=1-0 to v=4-3, in the ^{2 +} ground electronic state of each molecule were observed. The analysis of the data is in progress and will be presented.