THE NEAR-INFRARED SPECTRUM OF CH$_2^+$

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The molecular ion CH2+ is of special theoretical interest because it is both quasi-linear and exhibits a strong Renner-Teller interaction between its ground and first-excited electronic states. At linearity, the ground state is a 2Πu state that splits into X~2A1 and A~2B2 states as the molecule bends. The A~ state is linear, while the X~ is quasi-linear with a barrier to linearity of only 1089 \wn. Thus, only the ground vibrational state is bound by the barrier to linearity. \vspace{2ex} The spectrum of CH2+ in the region 11,000--13,000 \wn\ has been recorded with our Ti:sapphire laser spectrometer. This spectrometer couples velocity modulation with heterodyne detection for near shot-noise-limited sensitivity. Since our initial letter on this spectrum,} \textbf{121}, 11527 (2004).} we have selectively rescanned portions of this spectrum with improved signal-to-noise. As a result, we have been able to assign the A~(0,3,0)3←X~(0,0,0)2 band and detect the X~(0,9,0)2←X~(0,0,0)1 band, whose assignment is in progress. A more detailed analysis of the entire spectrum, including spin splitting, is underway.

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{J. L. Gottfried and T. Oka, \textit{J. Chem. Phys.


Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics,; and the Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago; IL, 60637, USA

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