Speaker
Description
Molecular hydrogen and its ion are the simplest of all molecules and as such are important systems for the development of molecular quantum mechanics. The rovibrational energy level
structure of these one- and two-electron systems can be calculated extremely precisely by quantum-chemical methods which include the determination of relativistic and QED effects.
By comparison with the results of laser precision measurements of rovibronic intervals, fundamental constants or particle properties, such as the proton-to-electron mass ratio or the proton size, could be determined.
I will give an overview of various precision measurements involving the ground and excited electronic states of molecular hydrogen and its isotopologues, leading to the determination of
the dissociation and ionization energy and the H+H scattering length. Moreover, I will show how highly excited electronic states of molecular hydrogen can be used to selectively prepare the molecular ions in exotic states, which show an enhanced sensitivity to the proton-to-electron mass ratio and ortho-para mixing.
