Electron attachment to valence-excited CO

Abstract

The possibility of electron attachment to the valence a³∏ state of CO is examined using an ab initio bound-state multireference configuration interaction approach. The resulting resonance has ⁴∑ ^- symmetry; the higher vibrational levels of this resonance state coincide with, or are nearly coincident with, levels of the parent a³∏ state. Collisional relaxation to the lowest vibrational levels in hot plasma situations might yield the possibility of a long-lived CO^- state.