From spectra with rotational resolution, moments of inertia and hence bond lengths and angles can be determined "directly" (at least in principle). From less well-resolved spectra one can still determine important quantities like JT stabilization energies and energy barriers (e.g. to pseudorotation). However, in the whole spectral intensity distribution P ( E ) of an electronic transition more information is encoded. It has been used to decide on the presence (or absence) of the geometric phase which is accumulated during the pseudorotational motion around the JT (or other type of) conical intersection. Prominent examples of either type are the ground (X) or an excited (B) state of Na 3. The Fourier transform of P ( E ) , the so-called autocorrelation function C ( t ) reflects the motion of the wavepacket after an optical (= vertical) transition to the APES of the final electronic state. Typically it will move on the timescale of a vibrational period which is (for small molecules) of the order of 5–50 fs, i.e. ultrafast. Besides a nearly periodic motion, mode–mode interactions with very irregular (also chaotic) behaviour and spreading of the wavepacket may also occur. Near a conical intersection this will be accompanied/complemented by nonradiative transitions (termed internal conversion) to other APESs occurring on the same ultrafast time scale.