Spin–orbit configuration interaction study of potential energy curves and transition probabilities of the mercury hydride molecule and tests of relativistic effective core potentials for Hg, Hg+, and Hg2+

Abstract

Ab initio CI calculations have been carried out for the low-energy states of the mercury hydride molecule HgH and its isotopomers. A relativistic effective core potential (RECP) given by Ross et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 6654 (1990)] is employed to describe all but the Hg 5d and 6s valence electrons. Tests for a series of low-lying states of Hg, Hg+, and Hg2+ demonstrate that 0.1 eV accuracy is obtained at the SCF level with a high-quality basis set for this RECP in comparison with all-electron Dirac–Fock results up to 32 eV excitation energy. The DF values are themselves in error by 1–3 eV on the average compared to experiment, but the present CI calculations based on this RECP lead to considerably higher accuracy because of the importance of correlation effects in such determinations. Energy differences (12 cases) between states with the same number of electrons are computed to an accuracy of 0.1–0.2 eV in all cases after the spin–orbit interaction is included. These results compare favorably with those obtained by Häussermann et al. [Mol. Phys. 78, 1211 (1993)] with a ... 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 RECP and a corresponding larger AO basis to describe the more tightly bound electrons. Good agreement is found for the spectroscopic constants of the HgH molecule in its lowest four electronic states: X 2Σ+1/2, A1 2Π1/2, A2 2Π3/2, and B 2Σ+1/2 (maximal errors of 1000 cm−1 for Te, 0.03 Å for re and 150 cm−1 for ωe). An RKR curve reported for the A1 state is shown to be in error beyond r=4.0 a0 because of its failure to describe a key avoided crossing with the B state. Radiative lifetimes computed for the A 2Π multiplets are both found to agree with values deduced from experiment to within 40%. The calculations find no difference in the HgH and HgD radiative lifetimes for either the A1 or the A2 states, whereas a large distinction in the measured A1 lifetimes of the two isotopomers is observed, thereby supporting the previous experimental conclusion that strong predissociation occurs in the HgH A1 state. Numerous higher-lying electronic states are also studied, with Te values up to 60 000 cm−1, and on this basis it is argued that earlier assignments for the HgH C–X and D–X transitions are incorrect, as previously concluded by Nedelec et al. [Chem. Phys. 134, 137 (1989)].