Nikolay F. Zobov

State-selective spectroscopy of water up to its first dissociation limit

A joint experimental and first-principles quantum chemical study of the vibration-rotation states of the water molecule up to its first dissociation limit is presented. Triple-resonance, quantum state-selective spectroscopy is used to probe the entire ladder of waters stretching vibrations up to 19 quanta of OH stretch, the last stretching state below dissociation. A new ground state potential energy surface of water is calculated using a large basis set and an all-electron, multireference configuration interaction procedure, which is augmented by relativistic corrections and fitted to a flexible functional form appropriate for a dissociating system. Variational nuclear motion calculations on this surface are used to give vibrational assignments. A total of 44 new vibrational states and 366 rotation-vibration energy levels are characterized; these span the region from 35,508 to 41,126 cm(-1) above the vibrational ground state.

Water line lists close to experimental accuracy using a spectroscopically determined potential energy surface for H2O16, H2O17, and H2O18

Line lists of vibration-rotation transitions for the H(2) (16)O, H(2) (17)O, and H(2) (18)O isotopologues of the water molecule are calculated, which cover the frequency region of 0-20 000 cm(-1) and with rotational states up to J=20 (J=30 for H(2) (16)O). These variational calculations are based on a new semitheoretical potential energy surface obtained by morphing a high accuracy ab initio potential using experimental energy levels. This potential reproduces the energy levels with J=0, 2, and 5 used in the fit with a standard deviation of 0.025 cm(-1). Linestrengths are obtained using an ab initio dipole moment surface. That these line lists make an excellent starting point for spectroscopic modeling and analysis of rotation-vibration spectra is demonstrated by comparison with recent measurements of Lisak and Hodges [J. Mol. Spectrosc. (unpublished)]: assignments are given for the seven unassigned transitions and the intensity of the strong lines are reproduced to with 3%. It is suggested that the present procedure may be a better route to reliable line intensities than laboratory measurements.

A room temperature CO2 line list with ab initio computed intensities

Abstract Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are being closely monitored by remote sensing experiments which rely on knowing line intensities with an uncertainty of 0.5% or better. We report a theoretical study providing rotation–vibration line intensities substantially within the required accuracy based on the use of a highly accurate ab initio dipole moment surface (DMS). The theoretical model developed is used to compute CO2 intensities with uncertainty estimates informed by cross comparing line lists calculated using pairs of potential energy surfaces (PES) and DMS׳s of similar high quality. This yields lines sensitivities which are utilized in reliability analysis of our results. The final outcome is compared to recent accurate measurements as well as the HITRAN2012 database. Transition frequencies are obtained from effective Hamiltonian calculations to produce a comprehensive line list covering all 12C16O2 transitions below 8000 cm − 1 and stronger than 10 − 30 cm /molecule at T = 296 K .

Global spectroscopy of the water monomer.

Given the large energy required for its electronic excitation, the most important properties of the water molecule are governed by its ground potential energy surface (PES). Novel experiments are now able to probe this surface over a very extended energy range, requiring new theoretical procedures for their interpretation. As part of this study, a new, accurate, global spectroscopic-quality PES and a new, accurate, global dipole moment surface are developed. They are used for the computation of the high-resolution spectrum of water up to the first dissociation limit and beyond as well as for the determination of Stark coefficients for high-lying states. The water PES has been determined by combined ab initio and semi-empirical studies. As a first step, a very accurate, global, ab initio PES was determined using the all-electron, internally contracted multi-reference configuration interaction technique together with a large Gaussian basis set. Scalar relativistic energy corrections are also determined in order to move the energy determinations close to the relativistic complete basis set full configuration interaction limit. The electronic energies were computed for a set of about 2500 geometries, covering carefully selected configurations from equilibrium up to dissociation. Nuclear motion computations using this PES reproduce the observed energy levels up to 39 000 cm−1 with an accuracy of better than 10 cm−1. Line positions and widths of resonant states above dissociation show an agreement with experiment of about 50 cm−1. An improved semi-empirical PES is produced by fitting the ab initio PES to accurate experimental data, resulting in greatly improved accuracy, with a maximum deviation of about 1 cm−1 for all vibrational band origins. Theoretical results based on this semi-empirical surface are compared with experimental data for energies starting at 27 000 cm−1, going all the way up to dissociation at about 41 000 cm−1 and a few hundred wavenumbers beyond it.

Optimized Semiempirical Potential Energy Surface for H 2 16 O up to 26000 cm -1

A semiempirical potential energy surface is obtained for the major isotopologue of the water molecule H216O that allows the vibration-rotation energy levels in the range of 0–26000 cm−1 to be calculated with an accuracy almost equal to the average experimental accuracy of measurements in the infrared and visible ranges. Variational calculations using this potential energy surface reproduce the experimental energy values of more than 1500 vibration-rotation levels of H216O with the total angular momentum quantum number J = 0, 2, and 5 in the indicated range with a standard deviation of 0.022 cm−1. The potential was obtained by optimizing a starting ab initio surface using a combination of two approaches, i.e., (1) the multiplication of the starting ab initio surface by a morphing function whose parameters were optimized and (2) the optimization of parameters of the ab initio surface using both the experimental values of energy levels and the results of quantum-chemical electronic structure calculations.

Room temperature line lists for CO2 symmetric isotopologues with ab initio computed intensities

Remote sensing experiments require high-accuracy, preferably sub-percent, line intensities and in response to this need we present computed room temperature line lists for six symmetric isotopologues of carbon dioxide: 13C16O2, 14C16O2, 12C17O2, 12C18O2, 13C17O2 and 13C18O2, covering the range 0–8000 cm−1. Our calculation scheme is based on variational nuclear motion calculations and on a reliability analysis of the generated line intensities. Rotation–vibration wavefunctions and energy levels are computed using the DVR3D software suite and a high quality semi-empirical potential energy surface (PES), followed by computation of intensities using an ab initio dipole moment surface (DMS). Four line lists are computed for each isotopologue to quantify sensitivity to minor distortions of the PES/DMS. Reliable lines are benchmarked against recent state-of-the-art measurements and against the HITRAN2012 database, supporting the claim that the majority of line intensities for strong bands are predicted with sub-percent accuracy. Accurate line positions are generated using an effective Hamiltonian. We recommend the use of these line lists for future remote sensing studies and their inclusion in databases.

Stark coefficients for highly excited rovibrational states of H2O

Quantum beat spectroscopy is combined with triple-resonance vibrational overtone excitation to measure the Stark coefficients (SCs) of the water molecule for 28 rovibrational levels lying from 27,600 to 41,000 cm(-1). These data provide a stringent test for assessing the accuracy of the available potential energy surfaces (PESs) and dipole moment surfaces (DMSs) of this benchmark molecule in this energy region, which is inaccessible by direct absorption. SCs, calculated using the combination of a high accuracy, spectroscopically determined PES and a recent ab initio DMS, are within the 1% accuracy of available experimental data for levels below 25,000 cm(-1), and within 4.5% for coefficients associated with levels up to 35,000 cm(-1). However, the error in the computed coefficients is over 60% for the very high rovibrational states lying just below the lowest dissociation threshold, due, it seems, to lack of a high accuracy PES in this region. The comparative analysis suggests further steps, which may bring the theoretical predictions closer to the experimental accuracy.

The assignment of quantum numbers in the theoretical spectra of the H2 16O, H2 17O, and H2 18O molecules calculated by variational methods in the region 0–26000 cm−1

Quantum numbers have been assigned in the theoretical spectra of three isotopologues of the water molecule: H216O, H217O, and H218O. The spectra were calculated by variational methods in the region 0–26000 cm−1 at a temperature of 296 K. For each molecule, the quantum numbers are assigned to more than 28000 levels. The quantum numbers are assigned to 216766, 210679, and 211073 spectral lines of the H216O, H217O, H218O molecules, respectively. The theoretical spectra with the assigned quantum numbers are available in the Internet.

Automated Technique for Identifying Experimental Vibrational–Rotational Molecular Spectra Based on Variational Calculations

We describe a technique for automated identification of experimental vibrational–rotational molecular spectra, which is based on variational calculations. The proposed technique is used to analyze the experimental spectra of triatomic molecules H2O and HDO. This technique significantly accelerates processing and analysis of experimental data and drastically improves accuracy and quality of the results obtained. The possibility of applying this technique for analyzing spectra of other polyatomic molecules is discussed.