Advances in experimental atomic, molecular and optical physics continue to make major contributions to the innovations in science and technology and impacts global society. I will be presenting my group’s recent work on experimental studies of radiative lifetimes of highly energetic sodium molecules using time-resolved optical-optical double-resonance spectroscopy and compare our results with the theoretical predictions. Radiative lifetime measurements determines the electronic transition dipole moment matrix element which is the key parameter in determination of the probability of absorption and emission of light by a molecule. Lifetime measurements are important for calculations of relative abundances of elements in astrophysics and for predictions of potential laser action and temperature determination of plasma physics. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation.
