Optical spectroscopy of jet-cooled FeC between 12 000 and 18 100 cm−1

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Abstract
Iron monocarbide has been investigated between 12 000 and 18 100 cm −1 in a supersonic expansion by resonanttwo-photonionization spectroscopy. Six new electronic states have been identified for which origins relative to the ground state have been determined. Three of these possess Ω ′ =3, one possesses Ω ′ =4, and two possess Ω ′ =2. The Ω ′ =3 state with an origin near 13 168 cm −1 is likely a 3 Δ 3 state and has been assigned as the analog of the [14.0] 2 Σ + ←X 2 Σ + charge transfer transition in CoC. The Ω ′ =4 state is most likely a 3 Φ 4 state. Additionally, seven bands with Ω ′ =2 have been observed that have proven impossible to systematically group by electronic state. Because every transition rotationally resolved in this study possesses a lower state with Ω=3, the ground state has been confirmed as arising from an Ω=3 state that is most likely the Ω=3 spin orbit component of a 3 Δ i term derived from a 1δ 3 9σ 1 configuration. The ionization energy (IE) of FeC has been determined as 7.74±0.09 eV by varying the wavelength of the ionization photon. When combined with the known IE of Fe and the bond energy of FeC + , the bond energy of FeC is calculated to be 3.9±0.3 eV . Presentation of the results is accompanied by an analysis of the bonding in FeC from a molecular orbital standpoint.