Vacuum Ultraviolet Absorption in Alkali-Nitrites and Alkali-Nitrates

Abstract

Vacuum ultraviolet absorption in alkali-nitrites (NaNO 2 and KNO 2 ) and alkali-nitrates (LiNO 3 , NaNO 3 , KNO 3 , RbNO 3 and CsNO 3 ) has been investigated in the region from 5 to 23 eV at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. Two types of absorption bands are observed for each of these salts with polyatomic anions. One of them appears at about 6 eV and is relatively insensitive to the change of temperature and cation partners, while the other which appears in the region from 8 to 12 eV is quite sensitive. The bands of the former type are assigned to electronic transitions in the anions and those of the latter type to some transitions corresponding to electron transfer from anion to cation.