Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Fourier Transform Spectroscopy of NiCl: Identification of a Low-Lying (2)Sigma(+) State (1768 cm(-1))

From a comparison with the spectrum of NiF, a low-lying (2)Sigma(+) state is expected to lie in the first 2000 cm(-1) above the ground X(2)Pi(3/2) state of NiCl. The identification of this (2)Sigma(+) (v = 0) state (at 1768 cm(-1)) has been carried out through the analysis of two electronic transitions (2)Pi(3/2)-(2)Sigma(+) (22 720 cm(-1)) and (2)Pi(1/2)-(2)Sigma(+) (23 210 cm(-1)) recorded by high-resolution Fourier transform spectroscopy. Dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy allowed these transitions to be located on an absolute energy-level diagram that includes the previously studied electronic states. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.