The millimeter wave spectrum of the CO dimer

The millimeter wave spectrum of the isotopically substituted CO dimer, (¹³C¹⁶O)₂, has been studied for the first time, confirming and extending a recent infrared study. Eighty-seven transitions in the 77-180 GHz region have been assigned and analyzed in terms of a model-independent term value scheme involving 57 rotational levels with J=0-8. The levels can be classified into 7 “stacks” which have symmetry classifications of either A⁻/B⁺ or A⁺/B⁻ and K-values of either 0 or 1. For the normal isotope, symmetry and nuclear spin statistics cause alternate rotational levels to be missing, but for (¹³C¹⁶O)₂ all levels are present with an intensity alternation of 1:3 between A and B symmetries. The four A⁻/B⁺ stacks have not previously been observed, and the lowest of them establishes the tunneling splitting of (¹³C¹⁶O)₂ to be 3.769 cm⁻¹, slightly larger than the (¹²C¹⁶O)₂ value of 3.731 cm⁻¹. A large amount of precise experimental data is now available for the CO dimer, which should lead to greater theoretical insight into its structure and tunneling dynamics.