Branches Window

Every branch used in the assignment procedures of the LWW program has to be first defined by the user. The window for Adding a new branch can be opened in two ways: either from the menu Branches - Add New Branch or by clicking on the (Add Branch) button in the Branches window. Because the energy file does not reside in the program memory, it has to be read from the file every time the Add New Branch from Energy File window is opened.

During reading of the energy file, the quantum numbers associated with energies are analyzed, so that the contents of combo boxes for defining the vibrational and rotational quantum numbers in the Add New Branch window contain only the available sets of quantum numbers.

After filling all necessary quantum numbers, wavenumbers of the corresponding branch are calculated by clicking on the Calculate Transitions button. The wavenumbers then appear in Preview table. The range of J quantum numbers in the branch corresponds obviously to that found in the energy file.

After having the wavenumbers of the branch calculated, the branch can be finally added to the project by clicking on the Add Branch to Project button. Only then the new branch appears as another entry in the Branches window.

In the process of defining a new branch, the user can fill in also the characteristics of the branch (Band name, Branch name, Series ID ) in the text boxes in the lower left part of the Add New Branch window. These three items will be displayed in the Branches window to make identification of its individual lines easier and to associate it with the conventional spectroscopic labeling of branches. These fields can be left blank and/or edited later in the corresponding columns of the Branches window (except Series ID).

While the Band name and Branch name labels are only descriptive, the Series ID label is used internally by the program for logical manipulations with the Loomis-Wood diagrams. Only branches with the same Series ID can be displayed simultaneously in the Loomis-Wood windows of the program and linked one to another with lower state combination differences.

The Branches window is a control center of the LWW program. The most powerful feature of the LWW program consists in an interactive linking of the Branches window with the Assignments, Loomis-Wood, and Spectrum windows. This enables performing assignments either in the Assignments window or in the Loomis-Wood window. Whenever an assignment (of quantum numbers to a wavenumber) is done, it appears both in the Assignments and the Loomis-Wood windows and the corresponding part of the spectrum is shown in the Spectrum window.