INTERPRETATION OF MOLECULAR-BEAM RADIOFREQUENCY ORTHO-PARA TRANSITIONS IN METHANE

Abstract

In a recent $letter^{1}$ the radiofrequency observation of ortho-para transitions in methane at fields near two kilogauss is reported. It is $implied^{1}$ that the splitting between the two inversion levels of methane is resolved, and that the magnitude of this inversion splitting is a few kilohertz at fields near two kilogauss. It is the purpose of the present talk to suggest modifications of the symmetry arguments $applied^{1,2}$ to these experimental data, which allow one to retain only certain features of the model $used^{1}$ to interpret these data, and which lead finally to the conclusion that transitions of the type observed do not give information on the inversion splitting of methane.