Theoretical study of the electronic transition moment for the d 3IIga 3IIu band system of the C2 molecule

Large scale ab initio SCF and CI calculations are employed to study the potential curves for the d ³II_g, a ³II_u and X¹Σ⁺_g states of the C₂ radical. The electronic transition moment R_e′e″ for the Swan bands (d ³II_ga ³II_u) is calculated in various AO and MO basis sets as a function of the internuclear CC distance. The form of the Σ|R_e′e″|² curve is in very good agreement with that obtained recently from measurements of Danylewych and Nicholls and Tatarczyk et al.; the calculated value for Σ|R_e′e″² at 2.44 bohr is found to be 5.2 au² compared to the most recent experimental values of |R_e(r_oo)|² = 3.57 au² of Tatarczyk et al.