PHOTOIONIZATION SPECTROSCOPY OF LIMG

We report the first electronic spectroscopy for the metal diatomic LiM g. Two electronic band systems near 330 nm are measured with resonant photoionization spectroscopy. Both systems correlate to the 2s-3p (P-2 <-- S-2) transition of Lilhium 11 bands are observed for the weak E < -- X and F <-- X transitions originating from the v '' = 0 ground stat e vibrational level. Vibronic hotbands reveal the ground state vibrati onal frequency (omega(e) '') of 190 cm(-1), and extrapolation of the g round stale levels yields the dissociation energy of D-0 '' = 1330 cm( -1) (0.165 eV; 3.8 kcal/mol. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.