Application of wide-band multichannel picosecond absorption spectroscopy to the study of primary steps in bacterial photosynthesis

A description is given of the apparatus which can be used to record the absorption spectra in the 450–950 nm range of a sample excited by single picosecond laser pulses. The kinetics of disappearance of the spectra may be followed for 0–2 nsec. Wide-band multichannel absorption spectra of preparations of reaction centers from various strains of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides, recorded after excitation of a suspension by a single 532 nm picosecond pulse are reported.