New emission band systems of the NH+ molecule

Abstract
Two new band systems of the NH+ molecule have been photographed at high dispersion and analyzed. One system consists of a single band at 4348.5 Å which arises from a 2Δ–2Π transition and the second consists of three bands of a 2Σ2Π transition with the strongest (0–0) band lying at 4628.9 Å. A number of the vibrational and rotational constants of these states have been determined. From a study of the isotopic species 14NH+, 15NH+, and 14ND, it has been established that the ground state of NH+ is the 2Π state and that a 4Σ state lies 354 cm−1 higher. The spectrum has allowed us to determine the wavelengths at which cometary spectra and interstellar absorption lines of NH+ are expected to fall and to predict that the transition between the two lowest levels, which may be of interest to radio astronomy, occurs at 13 500 mc/s.