Model calculation of the electronic structure and spectroscopy of Hg2

Energy curves and transition moments of the excited valence states of Hg₂ were obtained in a model calculation based on calculated Mg₂ energy levels and the assumption that the asymptotic spin-orbit matrix elements for the Hg atom are applicable to the molecular states. The spin-orbit and orbital-rotational interaction of the excited states of Hg₂ is analyzed in both a Hund's case (c) and (a) representation. The intermediate (a) → (c) transition moments are obtained as a function of the internuclear distance. The effect of the orbital-rotational interaction which introduces Hund's case (b) and (e) couplings is found to be small for transitions among excited states under the conditions normally encountered for populating excimer states.Using the energy level positions and transition moments, the observed spectra and predicted spectra are compared for both radiative transitions including the ground state and among the excited states. The lifetime of the $\text{1}{}_{\mathrm{u}}\text{(}{}^3\text{Σ}{}_{\mathrm{u}}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}$ excimer state is calculated to be 1.4 μsec with the 335 nm band assigned to the $\text{1}{}_{\mathrm{u}}\text{→ X}{}^1\text{Σ}{}_{\mathrm{g}}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ transition. The 485 nm bands cannot be assigned to any Hg₂ transitions. Strong bound-continuum absorptions are predicted for the 485 nm bands. On the other hand, the 335 nm emission is predicted to be absorbed by bound-bound transitions only.