Coupled Bending and Twisting Vibrations in Cyclopentanone

Examination of Fig. 4.30 indicates that the probability density for the levels involved in the observed transitions should be localized about the stable twisted conformation. In order to obtain a basis set for the variation calculation which satisfies this requirement a slightly different approach was taken102. First, the two-dimensional potential was presumed to be given by 

An approximate separation of variables was performed, yielding the following effective potential functions 

---