High resolution laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy of the [18.8] 3Phi(i)-X 3Phi(i) (0,0) band of cobalt monofluoride

• Published in: The Journal of chemical physics 2006-08, Vol.125 (6), p.64302-64302
• Main Authors: Steimle, Timothy C, Ma, Tongmei, Adam, Allan G, Hamilton, William D, Merer, Anthony J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-9606

The fine and hyperfine interaction parameters in the [18.8] (3)Phi (upsilon=0) and X (3)Phi (upsilon=0) states of cobalt monofluoride, CoF, have been determined from an analysis of high-resolution laser induced fluorescence spectra of the [18.8] (3)Phi(3)-X (3)Phi(3) and [18.8] (3)Phi(4)-X (3)Phi(4) band systems. The previously reported pure rotational transitions of the X (3)Phi(4)(upsilon=0) state [T. Okabayashi and M. Tanimoto, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 221, 149 (2003)] were included in the data set. The hyperfine parameters for (59)Co (I=72) and (19)F (I=12) have been interpreted using atomic data together with a proposed molecular orbital description for the [18.8](3)Phi(i) and X (3)Phi(i) states. A comparison of the hyperfine parameters in the X (3)Phi state of cobalt monohydride, CoH, with those of the X (3)Phi state of CoF reveals that the bonding in the two molecules is significantly different. It is shown that, in a situation where the Omega substates of a multiplet degenerate electronic state are analyzed separately, the Fermi contact parameter b can be determined with fair accuracy from the apparent centrifugal distortion of the hyperfine structure.