The ground state of Na2

Abstract

The laser-induced fluorescence of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] transitions of Na2 are analysed, using high resolution Fourier transform spectroscopy. Fixed-frequency ion-laser lines (4880 and 4765 Å (1 Å = 10−10 m) from Ar+ and 6471 and 4762 Å from Kr+) together with laser frequencies from a ring dye laser, using rhodamine 6 G with λ = 5781.22 and 5796.80 Å, were used to excite Na dimer in the gas phase. Twenty-eight series of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] systems have been assigned and analysed, and the strong transitions are accompanied by numerous rotational relaxation lines. Molecular constants of the [Formula: see text] state were calculated with high precision from simultaneous least-squares fits to 1410 lines assigned to the A–X and B–X systems. These constants have been used to determine the Rydberg–Klein–Rees potential curve of the X ground state for vibrational levels up to ν = 62.