Vibronic spectroscopy
Vibronic spectra involve simultaneous changes in the vibrational and electronic energy states of a molecule. In the gas phase vibronic transitions are accompanied by changes in rotational energy also. Vibronic spectra of diatomic molecules have been analysed in detail; emission spectra are more complicated than absorption spectra. The intensity of allowed vibronic transitions is governed by the Franck–Condon principle. Vibronic spectroscopy may provide information, such as bond-length, on electronic excited states of stable molecules. It has also been applied to the study of unstable molecules such as dicarbon, C2, in discharges, flames and astronomical objects.
Electronic transitions are typically observed in the visible and ultraviolet regions, in the wavelength range approximately 200–700 nm (50,000–14,000 cm−1), whereas fundamental vibrations are observed below about 4000 cm−1. When the electronic and vibrational energy changes are so different, vibronic coupling (mixing of electronic and vibrational wave functions) can be neglected and the energy of a vibronic level can be taken as the sum of the electronic and vibrational (and rotational) energies; that is, the Born–Oppenheimer approximation applies. The overall molecular energy depends not only on the electronic state but also on vibrational and rotational quantum numbers, denoted v and J respectively for diatomic molecules. It is conventional to add a double prime (v", J") for levels of the electronic ground state and a single prime (v', J') for electronically excited states.
...
Wikipedia