kelly0303 said:It looks like for high enough vibrational distortions they can be negative
Centrifugal distortion is the phenomenon where the rotational energy levels of a diatomic molecule are affected by the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the molecule.
Centrifugal distortion causes the energy levels of a diatomic molecule to become unevenly spaced, with higher rotational levels having higher energy levels due to the increased centrifugal force.
The main factors that contribute to centrifugal distortion are the moment of inertia of the molecule, the rotational speed of the molecule, and the centrifugal force acting on the molecule.
Centrifugal distortion is typically measured by observing the changes in the rotational energy levels of a diatomic molecule using spectroscopic techniques.
Understanding centrifugal distortion in diatomic molecules is important for accurately predicting and interpreting spectroscopic data, which has practical applications in fields such as chemistry, physics, and astronomy.