Raman Spectrum of Heavy Water (By Cable)

Abstract

THE Raman spectrum of heavy water has been obtained by 2536 excitation of 8 c.c. of 18 per cent heavy water in a quartz tube 35 cm. in length in contact with a quartz mercury vacuum tube. Two Raman bands were obtained with an intensity ratio of one to four, the new one having a mean wavelength of 2713 A. due to water molecules containing one atom of heavy hydrogen. The frequency difference was 2577, against 3420 for ordinary water. Cross and Van Vleck (J. Chem. Phys., June) have calculated a Raman frequency difference of 2720 for heavy water vapour, but a lower value is to be expected for the liquid, which Dieke has calculated as agreeing with my value within four per cent. There appeared to be slight indication of the band due to molecules containing two atoms of heavy hydrogen, but the faint continuous background made any certain measurements impossible. The heavy water was prepared by John W. Murray, of the Department of Chemistry.