Infrared and far-infrared laser magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the GeH radical: Determination of ground state parameters

Abstract

The GeH radical has been detected in its ground 2Π state in the gas phase reaction of fluorine atoms with GeH4 by laser magnetic resonance techniques. Rotational transitions within both 2Π1/2 and 2Π3/2 manifolds have been observed at far-infrared wavelengths and rotational transitions between the two fine structure components have been detected at infrared wavelengths (10 μm). Signals have been observed for all five naturally occurring isotopes of germanium. Nuclear hyperfine structure for 1H and 73Ge has also been observed. The data for the dominant isotope (74GeH) have been fitted to within experimental error by an effective Hamiltonian to give a set of molecular parameters for the X 2Π state which is very nearly complete. In addition, the dipole moment of GeH in its ground state has been estimated from the relative intensities of electric and magnetic dipole transitions in the 10 μm spectrum to be 1.24(±0.10) D.