Rotation of a rigid diatomic dipole molecule in a homogeneous electric field: I. Schrödinger equation. Quantization conditions according to phase-integral method

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After a brief historical discussion of the energy quantization according to quantum mechanics of the rigid diatomic dipole molecule in a static electric field, the Schrödinger equation for that system is recalled. Previous attempts to obtain the energy levels clearly indicate that there is a need for a reliable method yielding very accurate eigenvalues for all values of the electric field strength. This is accomplished with the aid of new quantization conditions obtained by means of a phase-integral method involving a general phase-integral approximation of arbitrary order generated from an unspecified base function, which is chosen in two different ways such that, when the electric field strength is equal to zero, simple limiting forms of the quantization conditions give the exact values of the energy levels. The two choices of the base function are expected to be appropriate in the cases when the absolute value of the magnetic quantum number m is sufficiently large and sufficiently small respectively. For every value of m at least one of the two base functions should be useful.