Electron coincidence spectroscopy of O2: Valence electron momentum distributions and binding energies

The binding energy spectra and momentum distributions for the valence orbital transitions of molecular oxygen have been obtained using the (e,2e) reaction at total electron energies of 400 and 1200 eV. The outer π_g orbital is found to have a wave-function which is significantly more extended in momentum space than that of the more-tightly bound π_u orbitals. This is interpreted as a consequence of the single occupancy of the anti-bonding π_g orbitals. Peaks at 39 and 47 eV are assigned to ^4,2Σ_g⁻ ion states on the basis of the observed momentum distributions. The momentum distribution and observed intensity for the 32.5 eV transition supports the assignment of 2 Π_u for this ion state. The measured relative strengths for the various Π_u and Σ_u transitions are in qualitative agreement with CI and Green's function calculations.