Communication: Heavy-Rydberg states of HD and the electron affinity of the deuterium atom.

Maximilian Beyer,Frédéric Merkt

doi:10.1063/1.5043186

Abstract

The electron affinity of the deuterium atom has been determined to be 6086.81(27) cm-1 from a measurement of the difference between the D+ + H- and H+ + D- ion-pair dissociation energies and a thermochemical cycle involving the electron affinity of H and the ionization energies of H and D. Heavy-Rydberg states and the ion-pair dissociation thresholds of HD were accessed with good efficiency using a three-photon excitation sequence through the B Σu+1 (v = 22, N = 1) and H¯ Σg+1 (v = 9, N = 0) intermediate levels and the threshold positions were determined using the method of threshold-ion-pair-production spectroscopy.

Highlights

Hyperfine-interaction-induced g/u mixing and its implication on the existence of the first excited vibrational level of the state of and on the scattering length of the H + H+
Heavy-Rydberg states and the ion-pair dissociation thresholds of HD were accessed with good efficiency using a three-photon excitation sequence through the B 1Σu+ (v = 22, N = 1)
Measurements of the threshold energies EIPF for the formation of ion pairs from neutral molecules can be used to determine the electron affinity Eea of atoms and molecules using the thermodynamical cycle

Summary

Introduction

Hyperfine-interaction-induced g/u mixing and its implication on the existence of the first excited vibrational level of the state of and on the scattering length of the H + H+. Heavy-Rydberg states and the ion-pair dissociation thresholds of HD were accessed with good efficiency using a three-photon excitation sequence through the B 1Σu+ (v = 22, N = 1)

Results

Conclusion