Estimation of dissociation energy of NiC molecule

The experimental potential-energy curve for the electronic ground state of an astrophysically important NiC molecule is constructed by applying the Rydberg-Klein-Rees method as modified by Vanderslice et al. The ground state dissociation energy is estimated by a curve-fitting technique using the modified Lippincott potential function, and this estimated value of D0=3.454eV is in good agreement with the value of D0⩾3.34eV reported by Brugh and Morse.