title: Laser spectroscopic studies of several Rydberg states of MgO.
abstract: We report extensive spectroscopic measurements of rovibronic transitions from the MgO X 1Sigma+ ground state to the high-energy E 1Sigma+, F 1Pi1, and G 1Pi1 Rydberg states. Perturbations in the E 1Sigma+ and G 1Pi1 states were observed. The Rydberg molecular orbital character of the three states is examined, given ab initio calculations by Thummel et al. [Chem. Phys. 129, 417 (1989)]. It is concluded that the E 1Sigma+ and G 1Pi1 states consist primarily of the MgO+ X 2Pi ionic core, surrounded by 3ppi and 3psigma Rydberg electron clouds, respectively, and that the F 1Pi1 state consists primarily of the MgO+ A 2Sigma+ ionic core surrounded by a 3ppi Rydberg electron cloud. Spectroscopic characterizations of some unassigned vibrational levels of analogous MgO 3Pi2 states in this energy region are also reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Jinjin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Breckenridge