Abstract
The λ2300 "band" of the carbon arc, previously noticed by Bloomenthal and other investigators and measured by Hori, who attributed it to a C3 molecule, has been accurately measured and analyzed, using photographs taken on the 30-foot, 30,000-line grating spectrograph. The analysis shows definitely that the structure consists of superposed (0,0), (1,1), (2,2), and (3,3) headless bands of a ΣΣ transition of C2 (or possibly C2+), in agreement with the earlier diagnosis of Mulliken and Dieke. Alternate lines are missing in each series, as expected in view of the zero spin of the carbon nucleus. Most probably the transition is Σu+1Σg+1 of C2. The molecular constants are very nearly equal for the upper and lower electronic states. They correspond rather closely to the average values of the same constants for other known states of C2. The following values were obtained for the more important constants: Be=1.8334 cm1, Be=1.8223 cm1, α=0.0204, α=0.0195, re=1.2382 A, re=1.2419 A, ωe=1748 cm1, ωe=1774 cm1, ν00,0=43,227.25 cm1. The ωe values were obtained indirectly from the B and