On the bonding in Be22

Abstract The ground 1 Σ g + state and excited 3 Π u and 1 Π u states of Be 2 2+ have been studied. The ground state has 13 vibrational levels with an appreciable lifetime with respect to unimolecular decay. The 3 Π u state also has an inner well with several vibrational levels with long lifetimes. The 1 Π u state is repulsive, but the chemical bonding causes an inflection to appear in the potential curve.