The millimetre-wave rotational spectrum of phenylacetylene

The room-temperature rotational spectrum of phenylacetylene (C₆H₅CCH), was studied at frequencies up to 340 GHz. Extensive new measurements, covering rotational transitions with quantum number values up to J=140 and K_a=59, allowed determination of precise spectroscopic constants for the ground state and for the lowest two excited vibrational states, v₂₄=1 and v₃₆=1. The two excited states belong to the lowest B₁ and B₂ symmetry normal modes and their rotational transitions are very strongly perturbed by a-axis Coriolis resonance. A successful fit of the resonance is reported, resulting in and , in good agreement with results of ab initio computations.