Simple calculations of Franck-Condon factors for electronic transition bands of polyacenes

Progressional intensities have been calculated for the L_a and L_b transitions of the polyacenes, on the basis of semi-empirical SCF CI calculations of geometry changes upon electronic excitation and from normal analyses. The results give the Franck-Condon intensity distributions over various totally symmetric modes in good agreement with the vibrational structures observed in high resolution spectra.