Two-step polarization-labeling spectroscopy of diatomic molecules is described. Formulas for relative transition intensities are derived, and their use in determining angular momenta of molecular states is discussed. The experimental apparatus and procedure used to identify twenty-four new 'S,+, 'Il, , and '3, states in Na, are deScribed. The states are identified as low-lying members, n = 3 to 14, of several molecular Rydberg series, and the dependence of their properties on principal quantum numbers is shown. These results are extrapolated to yield constants for the ground state of Na, +.

We have measured the temperature of laser-cooled Rb atoms in optical molasses as a function of laser intensity and detuning. For both @ ' R b and s7Rb, cooled on the F = 3 + F ' = 4 and F = 2 + F ' = 3 transitions, respectively, the temperatures are proportional to the ratio of laser power and detuning for a wide range of these parameters. We observe a small but significant difference between the two isotopes. We also show the results of three-dimensional semi-classical numerical calculations. Our results favor a model which includes atomic localization in optical standing waves.

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In England, Scotland and Wales legislation has facilitated the process of procuring an abortion to the point at which, in 2007, it appears to have been effectively assimilated into contemporary life. However, despite the legal acceptance of abortion it remains an ethically contentious subject. Arguments in favour of, or in opposition to, abortion can arouse vociferous and, on occasions, extreme reactions. At the heart of the abortion debate lie questions concerning rights, autonomy and the way in which society views disability (if a pregnancy is terminated for this reason alone). It is important that health professionals comprehend the basis of the abortion debate, from the perspective of their profession, society as a whole and the individual woman who may have had or is considering an abortion or has been affected by the subject in some way. This article examines some of the key ethical issues concerning abortion.

Ultrafast photodissociation of the 2 1A′ state of ClNO, which has an absorption spectrum peaking at 335 nm, is studied by computational and experimental methods. New potential-energy surfaces are calculated for the 1 and 2 1A′ states at the multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) level. Wavepacket dynamics simulations performed both exactly and by using the multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree method yield essentially identical results. Transition dipole moments at a range of geometries are included in these calculations to correctly model the excitation. Vibrational and rotational state distributions of the NO product are obtained both computationally by analysing the quantum flux on the 2 1A′ surface and experimentally by use of 3D resonant multiphoton ionisation (REMPI), a variant of the velocity map imaging technique. The nascent NO is found to be only marginally vibrationally excited, with 91 % formed in v=0. The calculated NO rotational distribution peaks in the j=45–55 region, which compares favourably to experiment.