title: Infrared laser spectroscopy of jet-cooled carbon clusters:  structure of triplet C6.
abstract: We report the first structural characterization of the triplet isomer of C6. Forty-one rovibrational/fine structure transitions in the nu 4(sigma u) antisymmetric stretch fundamental of the C6 cluster have been measured by diode laser absorption spectroscopy of a supersonic carbon cluster beam. The observed spectrum is characteristic of a centrosymmetric linear triplet state with cumulene-type bonding. The measured ground state rotational constant B0 = 0.048 479 (10)cm-1 and the effective bond length r(eff) = 1.2868 (1) angstroms are in good agreement with ab initio predictions for the linear triplet (3 sigma g-) state of C6.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Orden
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Saykally
mesh_terms: D001256:Astronomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon