Ab initio spin-orbit configuration interaction calculations for high-lying states of the HeNe quasimolecule.

Multireference configuration interaction (MRD-CI) calculations are reported for a large series of electronic states of the HeNe quasimolecule up to 170000 cm(-1) excitation energy, including those that dissociate to the 3S1 and 2 1S0 excited states of the He atom. Spin-orbit coupling is included through the use of relativistic effective core potentials (RECPs). Good agreement is obtained with experimental spectroscopic data for the respective atomic levels, although there is a tendency to systematically underestimate the energies of the Ne atom by 1000-1500 cm(-1) because of differences in the correlation effects associated with its ground and Rydberg excited states.