Thermodynamically stable diatomic dications: potential curves and radiative lifetimes for CaCl2+ including relativistic effects

Relativistic effective core potential calculations, including spin-orbit coupling and configuration interaction, are reported for CaCl2+. This ion is shown to be thermodynamically stable by 0.95 and 0.87 eV for the 2Π32 and2Π12 states, respectively. The 2Σ12+ electronic excited state is also (weakly) bound and lies 0.88 eV above the ground state, just outside the energy range favourable for laser-induced fluorescence experiments. All other low-lying potential curves are repulsive.