On the dissociation energy of O2 and the energy of the O2+ b 4Σg− state

We note here that a significant discrepancy exists between the recently determined dissociation energy of the O2 B 3Σu− state and the energy of the O(1D2)+O(3P2) dissociation limit determined in a spectroscopic cycle. The major contribution to this discrepancy appears to be the currently accepted value for the energy of the O2+ b 4Σg− state relative to the ground electronic state of molecular oxygen.