The electronic isotope shift in the A2Π-X2Σ+ bands of BeH,BeD and BeT

The 0-0, 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3 bands of the A²Π-X²Σ⁺ transition of the tritiated beryllium monohydride molecule have been observed at 5000 Å in emission using a beryllium hollow-cathode discharge in a He + T₂ mixture. The rotational analysis of these bands yields the following principal molecular constants.

$\text{A}{}^2\text{Π:}\text{B}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{= 4.192}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}\text{; r}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{= 1.333}\text{A}\text{?}$

$\text{X}{}^2\text{Σ:}\text{B}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{= 4.142}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}\text{; r}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{= 1.341}\text{A}\text{?}$

$\text{ω}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{′ ? ω}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{″ = 16.36}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}\text{; ω}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{′X}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{′ ? ω}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{″X}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{″ = 0.84}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$

From the pure electronic energy difference (E_Π - E_Σ)_BeT = 20 037.91 ± 1.5 cm^?1 and the corresponding previously known values for BeH and BeD, the following electronic isotope shifts are derived

$\text{ΔE}{}_{\mathrm{e}}{}^{\mathrm{i}}\text{(}\text{BeH}\text{?}\text{BeT}\text{) = ?4.7 ≠ 1.5}\text{cm}{}^1\text{, ΔE}{}_{\mathrm{e}}{}^{\mathrm{i}}\text{(}\text{BeH}\text{?}\text{BeT}\text{) = ?1.8 ≠ 1.5}\text{cm}{}^1$

and related to the theoretical approach given by Bunker to the problem of the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.