Diatomic Molecules According to the Wave Mechanics. II. Vibrational Levels

Abstract

An exact solution is obtained for the Schroedinger equation representing the motions of the nuclei in a diatomic molecule, when the potential energy function is assumed to be of a form similar to those required by Heitler and London and others. The allowed vibrational energy levels are found to be given by the formula $E(n)={E}_{e}+h{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}(n+\frac{1}{2})\ensuremath{-}h{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}x{(n+\frac{1}{2})}^{2}$, which is known to express the experimental values quite accurately. The empirical law relating the normal molecular separation ${r}_{0}$ and the classical vibration frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is shown to be ${{r}_{0}}^{3}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}=K$ to within a probable error of 4 percent, where $K$ is the same constant for all diatomic molecules and for all electronic levels. By means of this law, and by means of the solution above, the experimental data for many of the electronic levels of various molecules are analyzed and a table of constants is obtained from which the potential energy curves can be plotted. The changes in the above mentioned vibrational levels due to molecular rotation are found to agree with the Kratzer formula to the first approximation.