Investigation of excited-state lifetimes and predissociation of iodine molecules by selective excitation

The example of the I₂ molecule is used to demonstrate the application of dye lasers in selective excitation of a specified molecular state. A report is given of a study of the dependences of the probability and rate of predissociation on the quantum numbers of the vibrational and rotational states, and on an external magnetic field. It is shown that the predissociation of I₂ is mainly rotational.