Observation of the lowest1ΔuRydberg state of acetylene by multiphoton ionization spectroscopy

Analysis of low-lying gerade Rydberg states of acetylene using two-photon resonance fluorescence excitation spectroscopy

The np gerade Rydberg states of acetylene were analyzed using two-photon resonance fluorescence excitation spectroscopy in the 72,000-93,000 cm(-1) energy region. The npπ(1)Σ(g)(+) and npπ(1)Δ(g) Rydberg series (n = 3-5) were identified in the fluorescence excitation spectrum measured by monitoring the C(2) d(3)Π(g)-a(3)Π(u) Swan system. Some vibronic bands were assigned to the npπ(1)Δ(g)-X̃(1)Σ(g)(+) transition on the basis of rotational analysis. The 5pσ(1)Π(g) state was observed, which is the first such observation in an npσ(1)Π(g) series. Rotational analysis of the 5pσ(1)Π(g)-X̃(1)Σ(g)(+) transition showed e/f-symmetry dependent predissociation of acetylene in the 5pσ(1)Π(g) state. The 0(0)(0) band of the deuterated acetylene (C(2)D(2)) 4pπ(1)Σ(g)(+)-X̃(1)Σ(g)(+) transition exhibits an atypical structure, which was satisfactorily reproduced by a simple model of quantum interference between the discrete and quasi-continuum states. The predissociative lifetimes of the npπgerade Rydberg states were estimated from the spectral profiles. The predissociation mechanism of acetylene in the Rydberg states is discussed.

The bending vibrational levels of the acetylene cation: A case study of the Renner-Teller effect in a molecule with two degenerate bending vibrations

Forty three vibronic levels of C2H2+, X 2Pi u, with upsilon4 = 0-6, upsilon5 = 0-3, and K = 0-4, lying at energies of 0-3520 cm(-1) above the zero-point level, have been recorded at rotational resolution. These levels were observed by double resonance, using 1+1' two-color pulsed-field ionization zero-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectroscopy. The intermediate states were single rovibrational levels chosen from the A1Au, 4nu3 (K = 1-2), 5nu3 (K = 1), nu2+4nu3 (K = 0), and 47,206 cm(-1) (K = 1) levels of C2H2. Seven of the trans-bending levels of C2H2+ (upsilon4 = 0-3, K = 0-2) had been reported previously by Pratt et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 99, 6233 (1993)]; our results for these levels agree well with theirs. A full analysis has been carried out, including the Renner-Teller effect and the vibrational anharmonicity for both the trans- and cis-bending vibrations. The rotational structure of the lowest 16 vibronic levels (consisting of the complete set of levels with upsilon4 + upsilon5 < or = 2, except for the unobserved upper (2Pi u component of the 2nu4 overtone) could be fitted by least squares using 16 parameters to give an rms deviation of 0.21 cm(-1). The vibronic coupling parameter epsilon5 (about whose magnitude there has been controversy) was determined to be -0.0273(7). For the higher vibronic levels, an additional parameter, r45, was needed to allow for the Darling-Dennison resonance between the two bending manifolds. Almost all the observed levels of the upsilon4 + upsilon5 = 3 and 4 polyads (about half of the predicted number) could then be assigned. In a final fit to 39 vibronic levels with upsilon4 + upsilon5 < or = 5, an rms deviation of 0.34 cm(-1) was obtained using 20 parameters. An interesting finding is that Hund's spin-coupling cases (a) and (b) both occur in the Sigmau components of the nu4 + 2nu5 combination level. The ionization potential of C2H2 (from the lowest rotational level of the ground state to the lowest rotational level of the cation) is found to be 91,953.77 +/- 0.09 cm(-1) (3sigma).