Laser excitation spectrum and spectroscopic potential parameters of Cd2 molecule in the 1u(5(3)P2) energy state

Abstract

Excitation spectrum of Cd2 van der Waals complex was observed in a supersonic free-jet expansion beam. Cadmium dimers were seeded in argon environment (a carrier gas) while a pulsed dye laser served as an excitation light source. Well resolved structures of vibrational bands arising from transition between 1u(3pi(u)) and X0g+ (1sigmag+) states were observed. Using a Birge-Sponer method for analyzing the vibrational excitation spectrum, the first-time determination of the spectroscopical potential parameters of the 1u molecular state was performed. We obtained D'e = 723 +/- 10 cm(-1), omega'e = 28.9 +/- 1.0 cm(-1), omega'e x'e = 0.260 +/- 0.002 cm(-1) and R'e = 3.93 +/- 0.05 A. The latter value was estimated with the help of the computer-simulation of the spectrum. The results are compared with recent results of ab initio calculation of Czuchaj et al. (Chem. Phys. Lett. 225 (1994) 233) and demonstrate a reasonable agreement.