Chemical Physics Letters, Vol.370, No.3-4, 376-380, 2003
Temperature dependence of electric field-gradient induced birefringence (Buckingham effect) and molecular quadrupole moment of N-2. Comparison of experiment and theory
Observations of electric field-gradient induced birefringence (the Buckingham effect) in gaseous N-2 over a range of temperature (approximate to 293-412 K) and pressure (up to approximate to 2000 kPa) are reported. Analysis of the data shows that the temperature-independent contribution to the effect is not negligible, and values of the molecular hyperpolarizability, B, and quadrupole moment, Theta, are derived. In the case of the quadrupole moment, the experimental value [Theta = (-4.97 +/- 0.16) x 10(-40) C m(2)] and a state-of-the-art ab initio value [Theta = (-4.93 +/- 0.03) x 10(-40) C m(2)] due to Halkier, Coriani and Jorgensen [Chem. Phys. Lett. 294 (1998) 292] are in excellent agreement. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.