Potential energy curves of the gold dimer

Potential energy curves were constructed for the ground (XOg+) and excited (AO(u)(+) and BOu+) electronic states of gold dimer. Each potential energy curve was approximated by three functions: the lower portion, by perturbed Morse oscillator function; the middle portion, by the Rydberg-Klein-Ries po tential energy curve; and the portion corresponding to large nuclear spacin gs, by the van der Waals function. The reliability of the potential energy curves was checked by comparing the experimental molecular constants and th e constants calculated with the use of the wave function obtained by solvin g the radial wave equation.