Vibrational Relaxation in the Lowest Excited Singlet State of Anthracene in the Condensed Phase

Abstract

Determination of the pathways of vibrational relaxation in excited state processes remains both a fundamental and experimentally difficult area in condensed phase systems. Indirect techniques such as homogeneous line- width [1] and “hot” luminescence [2,3] measurements have been applied to low-temperature systems which exhibit sharp vibronic lines. Direct observations of the dynamics of vibrational relaxation have been accomplished by a number of techniques which are not restricted to systems at low temperatures or to those with sharp spectra. In general, these direct methods probe vibronic populations with either excited state absorption spectroscopy [4–6] or time-dependent emission studies [7–9].