Calculation of rotation-vibration energy levels of the ammonia molecule based on an ab initio potential energy surface

Abstract

An ab initio potential energy surface (PES) for gas-phase ammonia NH3 has been computed using the methodology pioneered for water (Polyansky et al., 2013). Multireference configuration interaction calculations are performed at about 50000 points using the aug-cc-pCVQZ and aug-cc-pCV5Z basis sets and basis set extrapolation. Relativistic and adiabatic surfaces are also computed. The points are fitted to a suitable analytical form, producing the most accurate ab initio PES for this molecule available. The rotation-vibration energy levels are computed using nuclear motion program TROVE in both linearised and curvilinear coordinates. Better convergence is obtained using curvilinear coordinates. Our results are used to assign the visible spectrum of 14NH3 recorded by Coy and Lehmann (1986). Rotation-vibration energy levels for the isotopologues NH2D, NHD2, ND3 and 15NH3 are also given. An ab initio value for the dissociation energy D0 of 14NH3 is also presented.