An accurate determination of the ionization energy of the MgO molecule

The ionization energy of the MgO(X 1Σ+, v=0, J=0) molecule, to form the MgO+(X 2Π3/2, v=0, J=3/2) ion, has been determined by two-color photoionization threshold measurements to be 8.0067±0.0009 eV. This value is consistent with, but much more accurate than, earlier experimental and ab initio estimates of 7.9±0.1 eV and 8.09 eV, respectively.