15min:

P. M. SHERIDAN, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1 Canada; M. J. DICK, Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1 Canada; J. G. WANG AND P. F. BERNATH, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1 Canada.

The B²A₁ - X²A₁ (0₀⁰) bands of CaCH₃ and SrCH₃ have been observed at high resolution using laser excitation spectroscopy. The molecules were synthesized in a laser ablation/supersonic expansion spectrometer by the reaction of the ablated metal atoms with a 1% mixture of (CH₃)₄Sn seeded in argon. The spectra for each molecule exhibit a symmetric top structure, with low J lines of multiple K components present. A rotational analysis is currently in progress, and a comparison of the spectroscopic and structural parameters for both molecules will be presented.