The X2Σ+ state of LiCa studied by Fourier-transform spectroscopy.

The paper reports on a successful observation of high resolution Fourier transform spectra of LiCa. The fine structure of the ground state was observed and attributed to effective spin-rotation interaction. The experimental observations are described by two models using potential energy curves. One of them takes into account the fine structure splitting by means of effective constants, the other by means of a R dependent function γ(R), built in the radial Schrödinger equation. Ab initio calculations were performed for γ(R) which comes close to the experimental function.