Photoexcitation from the lowest metastable level of H3 is used to prepare d-electron Rydberg states with total angular momentum %=1 that are built on H, + cores with different rotational quantum numbers. These states are then photoexcited to high-n members of f-electron Rydberg series. Excitation is detected by monitoring H3 ions that are formed in field ionization and autoionization.The photoexcitation of the f-electron series allows a sensitive analysis of the molecular-ion-core configuration of the 3d states. We have analyzed the f-electron Rydberg series converging to the two lowest rotational levels of H3+ and we have determined their quantum defects, ionization potentials, and their excitation intensity.
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