SYMMETRIC TOP BEHAVIOR IN THE PERTURBED $^{2}B_{2}$ STATE OF $NO_{2}$

Abstract

The observed symmetric top properties of fluorescence from the perturbed visible $^{2} B_{2}$ state of $NO_{2}$ are attributed to average behavior of high vibrationally excited perturbing ground state levels. Such attribution precludes assignment of an equilibrium configuration to the perturbed $^{2}B_{2}$ state, except as a weighted average, and possibly explains the considerable variation in effective rotational constants from band to band. A comparison is made with $NH_{2}$.