Determination of the interaction potential of the ground electronic state of Ne2 by high-resolution vacuum ultraviolet laser spectroscopy

A map of the rovibrational energy level structure of the ground electronic state of Ne-2 has been determined from a high-resolution spectroscopic measurement of the II 0(u)(+)<--X 0(g)(+) transition in the vacuum ultraviolet around 16.8 eV. The positions of the six bound rotational levels of the ground and of the three bound rotational levels of the first excited vibrational state were used to determine the interaction potential of the ground electronic state of Ne-2. This experimental potential is compared with previous theoretical results. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.