Theory for continuum resonance Raman scattering in diatomics using irreducible spherical tensors

A theory is presented which describes resonance Raman scattering via continuum electronic states of diatomic molecules. It is applied to the dissociative continuum of the bounded B(3Πo+u)‐state and the continuum of the repulsive 1Π1u state of the halogen molecules. Using spherical tensors and Wigner 3‐j symbols, closed forms for the resonance Raman intensities for different polarizations are given, which allow first principle calculations for molecules for which the vibrational wavefunctions of ground and electronic excited states as well as the oscillator strengths are known from absorption of fluorescence data.