An ab initio multireference doubles excitation configuration interaction study of low-lying electronic states of Cd-2 using Slater-type orbitals

Potential-energy curves for the ground state and lower excited states of th e Cd-2 dimer have been calculated. They are obtained using a multireference doubles excitation configuration interaction procedure and employing Slate r basis sets, previously optimized at the self-consistent-field level for e xcited states of the Cd atom. The spectroscopic constants and excitation en ergies for the bound states of Cd-2 have been compared with experimental as well as other theoretical results. The ground state of Cd-2 is essentially repulsive and presents a shallow van der Waals minimum. The computed adiab atic electronic transitions are in good agreement with the experimental one s.