Rydberg states of polyatomic molecules using model potentials

Abstract

We have used a simple model potential to calculate the Rydberg series in carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, acetylene, propyne, formaldehyde, allene, butadiene, and butene. The model potential for a molecule is taken as a sum of atomic model potentials. The results agree well with experiment and allow us to assign and interpret almost all the Rydberg series in the molecules studied. In addition to various applications we can identify several Rydberg series which are perturbed by interloping valence transitions, e.g., in H2CO and CO2.