The Electronic Spectrum of HF. I. The B1Σ+–X1Σ+ Band System

Abstract

The electronic emission and absorption spectrum of HF has been photographed at high resolution with a 10 m grating spectrograph. The emission, which extends from 2670 to 1480 Å, consists entirely of bands of the B1Σ+–X1Σ+ (previously denoted as the V1Σ+–X1Σ+)system. From the analysis of 51 bands of the emission spectrum, constants of the vibrational levels of the X state from ν = 7 and 19 and of the B state from ν = 0 to 10 have been determined. The dissociation energy of HF has been found to be D0(HF) = 47 333 ± 60 cm−1. In the absorption spectrum, 56 bands of the B–X system have been identified. Vibrational levels of the B state between ν = 14 and 26 were found to be well behaved and readily analyzed, but levels between ν = 26 and 73 were found to be highly perturbed. Rydberg–Klein–Rees potential curves have been calculated for the B and X states and it is shown that at large internuclear distances the bonding of the B state is almost entirely ionic.