Characterization of the molecular iodine electronic wave functions and potential energy curves through hyperfine interactions in the B0u

We present a high-resolution analysis of the six electronic states that share the same dissociation limit with the second excited electronic state B in molecular iodine. These six states are coupled to the B state via hyperfine interactions. The four hyperfine parameters, CB, B, dB, and eqQB, are calculated with the available potential energy curves and wave functions constructed from the separated-atom basis set. We obtain a maximum separation of the respective contributions from all six electronic states and compare each individual contribution with high-precision spectroscopic data, providing an independent verification of the relevant electronic structure. © 2005 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 020.2930, 300.6390, 300.6460, 300.6190.