A CI STUDY OF QUASI-BOUND AR-2(2+)

The potential energy curve of the electronic ground state 1SIGMA(g)+ of the molecular system Ar-2(2+) is investigated by configuration interaction calculations employing large Gaussian basis sets. The dication is found to be quasi-bound due to a local minimum of the potential energy current at R(e) = 2.05 angstrom and a resulting (local) well sufficiently deep to support a series of vibronic resonance levels. The lifetime of the lowest of these resonances is long enough to render Ar-2(2+) practically stable.