A He(I) Photoelectron Spectroscopic Study of the X2A"2state of NH3+ and ND3+. A Reanalysis and evidence for the Coriolis Coupling between the Bending nu2 and nu4 Modes.

In the He(I) photoelectron spectrum of NH3 and its isotopomer ND3 the complete vibrational structure of the X2A"2 state of NH3+ and ND3+ is examined in detail. Three vibrational progressions are identified. The well-known strongest progression, already unambiguously assigned to the nu2 out-of-plane bending mode, is observed from v=0-17 in NH3+ and v=0-20 in ND3+. For NH3+ this vibration could be characterized not only by its energy hcomega2= 0.109+/-0.001 eV (or omega2= 878+/-7 cm-1) but also by its first anharmonicity constant hcomega22x22=-(16.2+/-1.2)10-4 eV (or omega22x22=-13.0+/-1.0 cm-1). The best fit of the experimental data required the introduction of a second anharmonicity constant, i.e. hcomega22y22= -(30.7+/-4.2)x10-6 eV (or omega22y22=-0.248+/-0.034 cm-1). The earlier reported weak progression assigned to the vibrational combination nu1+nnu2 transitions has been reexamined. Suitable handling of the data leads to two possible energies for the nu1 degenerate NH stretching vibrational normal mode, i.e. hcomega1 =0.306+/-0.006 eV or 0.422+/-0.005 eV. Several arguments are brought to favour the value of hcomega1=0.422 eV (or omega1=3404 cm-1). Finally a third weak progression, reported for the first time, is assigned to nu4+nnu2 transitions where the nu4 in-plane bending mode is optically forbidden. This vibrational normal mode is characterized by an energy hcomega4=0.186+/-0.010 eV (omega4=1500+/-80 cm-1). In agreement with the theoretical predictions, this transition becomes allowed through a strong Coriolis vibro-rotational coupling between the nu4 and the nu2 vibrational normal modes. The same measurements and the isotope effect on the molecular constants are investigated in ND3+ too.