Structure and intensities of microwave lines in the spectra of diatomic molecules

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/191093· OSTI ID:6097301

Tatum, J B

The structure of the rotational levels in a diatomic molecule, and the intensities of microwave transitions between them, are reviewed. Attention is given to the statistical weights of levels that may have hyperfine structure on account of one or two nuclear spins, in the case of heteronuclear molecules and of homonuclear molecules. A new treatment is given, involving the concept of energy surfaces in a ternary diagram in the form of a triangular prism, in which the three vertices represent three limiting cases, while the interior of the prism displays energy levels where all three intermediate coupling parameters are of comparable magnitude. An example is given of a simple J = 2 to J = 1 transition in a molecule with nuclear spins 3/2 and 1, showing the 56 hyperhyperfine components into which the rotational line is split, and a movie film is described which shows how the resulting ''fingerprint'' varies with the relative strengths of the interactions between the nuclear and electronic angular momenta.

• Research Organization: Climenhaga Observatory, Department of Physics, University of Victoria
• OSTI ID: 6097301
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States) Vol. 60:2; ISSN APJSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640305* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Atomic & Molecular Theory-- (-1987)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
CALCULATION METHODS
DATA
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL DENSITY
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITED STATES
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE
INFORMATION
MICROWAVE SPECTRA
MOLECULES
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
ROTATIONAL STATES
SPECTRA
SPIN
STRUCTURAL MODELS
THEORETICAL DATA
ZEEMAN EFFECT