Predissociation and photodissociation of IBr

The observed predominance of excited Br(² P _1/2) atoms in the nearultra-violet photodissociation products of IBr is shown to be quantitatively consistent with an intermediate coupling regime in the visible absorption region, which invalidates the traditional interpretation of the B′(O ⁺) state as a new Born-Oppenheimer state arising from a strongly avoided potential curve crossing. A general theory of predissociation at intermediate coupling, covering the positions, intensities and widths of the spectral lines, shows that both diabatic and adiabatic characteristics must be taken into account. The presence of a sharp level is predicted at any coincidence between an adiabatic and a diabatic term value with the same J value, and the spacing between neighbouring lines is shown to depend on an average between the diabatic and adiabatic rotational constants. The theory is successfully applied to the B(³Π _{o ⁺} ) and B′(O ⁺) states of IBr, and potential curves for the two states are reported. The analysis is consistent with the following curve crossing parameters r_x = 3·220 Å, E_x = 16 915 cm^-1, V ₁₂ = 170 cm^-1, and ΔF = 9178 cm^-1 Å^-1, and with the following spectroscopic constants for the B′(O ⁺) state of IBr⁷⁹: