Electronic absorption spectrum and low-lying electronic states of Co2 isolated in solid neon

We report electronic absorption spectra in the mid-, near infrared and visible regions for cobalt dimers isolated in neon matrices. In addition to the already reported transition near 2.8 eV and above, ten states can be observed spanning a wide energy range from 0.068 to 2.49 eV. For four excited states in the IR range and two states in the visible, analysis of the vibronic systems leads to estimates of electronic energies, vibrational parameters and bond length variations. The data are compared to results of photodetachment experiments and recent theoretical predictions.