Determination of the structure of ArHF

Abstract

Radio‐frequency and microwave spectra of K = 0 states of ArHF in the ground vibrational state have been measured by molecular beam electric resonance spectroscopy. The rotational constant is (B+C)/2=3065.719 MHz; the component of the dipole moment along the a inertial axis is μ_a = 1.332 D. From the centrifugal distortion constant, D_J = 72.1 kHz, the stretching frequency of the van der Waals bond is estimated to be 42.1 cm⁻¹. In analogy with ArHCl the internal Ar–F–H angle θ is expected to be acute and the average value of the angle is 48.20°. The equilibrium configuration is likely to be near linear with atomic arrangement ArHF. The vibrationally averaged Ar–F distance is 3.540 Å.