THE SPECTROSCOPY OF RYDBERG EXCITED IODINE ARGON VAN-DER-WAALS COMPLEXES

The Rydberg excited I2-Ar complex formed in a supersonic free jet has been observed using mass resolved (2 + 1) REMPI spectroscopy. The present work has concentrated on the [2PI3/2]g 7s, OMEGA = 1, 2 Rydberg series Of I2-Ar. The spectrum exhibits anharmonic progressions in the I2...Ar van der Waals stretching mode for each Rydberg state with omega(e) values of 59+/-2 and 53+/-2 cm-1 for the two states. The corresponding zero-point dissociation energies, calculated from the observed spectral red-shifts were determined to be 568+/-5 and 504+/-5 cm-1. All the experimental data indicate that the complex has a T-shaped geometry in both Rydberg states.