High resolution `VUV laser' measurements of the band oscillator strengths of the CO transition

Band-integrated oscillator strengths of the transition for have been measured in absorption using a high-resolution tunable VUV coherent light source (`VUV laser') as a background source. The rotationally resolved absorption spectra are least-squares fitted by precise synthetic spectra in order to take into account the instrumental saturation effects. The fitting parameters are the oscillator strength, the rotational line width and the instrumental width. Saturation effects are reduced by pressure broadening the absorption lines using up to 1.5 bar of argon as a buffer gas. The new data set extends the range covered by recent measurements to . Cross sections for are measured here for the first time. The present results are in general agreement with the latest measurements and with ab initio calculations. The average broadening coefficient of the CO rotational lines by argon is determined in this study for the first time: . The variation of with and J is small and could not be measured in the present experiments.