Nonbonding Interactions of the Boron Atom in the Excited 2s23s 2S Rydberg and 2s2p22D Valence States

Abstract

Laser fluorescence spectroscopic studies of electronic transitions built upon the B atomic 2s2p22D ← 2s22p2P resonance transition to an excited valence state in the BNe, BAr, and BKr van der Waals complexes are presented. Information on the relevant potential energy curves of these electronic states, as well as those built upon the B atomic 2s23s2S Rydberg state, derived from laser excitation spectra, is also reported. Considerable variation in the interaction energies is found for the excited valence and Rydberg states in the different systems. Some of the excited electronic states do not fluoresce because of predissociation, and their observation was achieved through fluorescence depletion experiments. The contrasting binding energies and decay behavior of the excited states of BNe, BAr, and BKr are discussed in terms of our knowledge of electronic states of these complexes.