This proposal calls for the study of, "Microwave/Optical Spectroscopy of Helium and H2 Rydberg States". The focus is the study of high Rydberg states in these two electron systems under conditions which allow virtually complete spatial separation of the electrons. The circumstances provides an opportunity for extremely precise calculations of the structure of such states, incorporating relativistic and radiative corrections without uncertainty in the non- relativistic structure. It becomes a testing ground for fundamental atomic theory, especially as specialized to few electron systems. The Rydberg states are produced by neutralizing an accelerated ion beam. The high-L Rydberg states are detected using a CO2 laser and Stark ionization. High precision spectroscopy is carried out using microwave methods to look at transitions between states of the same n.
