Swan band explained

Swan bands are a characteristic of the spectra of carbon stars, comets and of burning hydrocarbon fuels.^{[1] [2]} They are named for the Scottish physicist William Swan, who first studied the spectral analysis of radical diatomic carbon (C₂) in 1856.^[3]

Swan bands consist of several sequences of vibrational bands scattered throughout the visible spectrum.^[4]

See also

• Spectroscopy

Notes and References

1. R.C. Johnson . 1927 . The structure and origin of the Swan band spectrum of carbon . . 226 . 157–230 . 10.1098/rsta.1927.0005 . 1927RSPTA.226..157J . 636–646 . free .
2. W.E. Pretty . 1927 . The Swan band spectrum of carbon . . 40 . 1 . 71–78 . 10.1088/0959-5309/40/1/313. 1927PPS....40...71P .
3. W. Swan . 1857 . On the prismatic spectra of the flames of compounds of carbon and hydrogen . . 21 . 3 . 411–430 . 10.1017/S0080456800032233 . 98339461 .
4. Robert B. King . 1948 . Relative Transition Probabilities of the Swan Bands of Carbon . . 108 . 429 . 1948ApJ...108..429K . 10.1086/145078 .