Induced pair polarizability anisotropy in mercury from depolarized interaction-induced light scattering spectra

Depolarized interaction-induced light scattering spectra of mercury between T = 873 and 1173 K have been used for deriving a pair polarizability anisotropy. Absolute zeroth and second moments have been measured and compared with theoretical calculations using various models for the pair polarizability anisotropy. The results show that gaseous mercury behaves quite differently from noble gases, since during collision the mercury pair develops a large intermediate-range positive anisotropy, revealing the breakdown of the classical dipole-induced-dipole approximation and the onset of specific electronic interactions.