Permanent electric dipole moment of copper monoxide, CuO

A number of low-rotational lines of the A (2)Sigma(-)<- X (2)Pi(3/2)(0,0) subband of a molecular beam of copper monoxide, CuO, were recorded field free and in the presence of a static electric field. A set of optimized fine and hyperfine parameters for the A (2)Sigma(-)(v'=0) state was produced from the analysis of the field-free spectrum. The permanent electric dipole moments mu for the A (2)Sigma(-)(v=0) and X (2)Pi(3/2)(v=0) states were determined to be 1.12(71) and 4.57(3) D, respectively, from the analysis of the observed Stark shifts. The error of the experimentally determined mu value for the X (2)Pi(3/2)(v=0) state is approximately ten times less than that for the previously determined value: mu=4.45(30) D [T. C. Steimle et al., J. Chem. Phys. 87, 5670 (1987)]. The experimental mu values are compared with theoretical predictions. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3455210]