Relativistic electronic structure of the Sr2 molecule

Diatomic Sr(2) has been proposed as a good candidate for precision measurement of possible time variation of fundamental constants. Precise knowledge of its vibrational structure and Stark shift of its levels in an optical lattice is required for realization of this proposal. Motivated by these ideas we have performed a numerical calculation of interatomic potentials and transition dipole moments of the Sr(2) molecule using an ab initio relativistic configuration interaction valence bond self-consistent-field method. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.