Abstract
The linear (h
u
+
)
2
⊗ h
b
Jahn-Teller system is studied analytically as a model for the effects of vibronic coupling in the C
60
2+
molecular cation. The unitary shift transformation method is used to obtain the states associated with the D
2h
minima in the lowest adiabatic potential energy surface (APES), which are good eigenstates of the system as a whole in the very strong coupling limit. In finite coupling, the projection operator technique is used to derive the symmetry-adapted states, which are linear combinations of the states associated with the D
2h
minima. Expressions for the corresponding energies are derived and plotted as a function of the coupling constant K
Hh
b
.