Abstract
A new and detailed interpretation of the discrete structure in the Ba2+ spectrum based on a standard application of quantum defect theory (QDT) is presented, and the method is shown to yield realistic relative intensities in the discrete spectrum. It is argued that any collective oscillations are damped within one period and can give rise to no harmonics, while any ab initio theory capable of prediction the giant resonance in the continuum correctly is also suitable for the discrete structure.