IS THE B-STATE OF NA(3) A CASE OF BERRY PHASE

The B state of Na3 is often cited as an example of fractional quantiza tion of the pseudorotational motion on the lower adiabatic surface of the E x e Jahn-Teller system. Recently, an alternative interpretation of the experimental results was given which is based on a pseudo-Jahn- Teller treatment and implies integer quantization. We present rotation ally resolved spectra of a number of vibronic bands of the Na3 B-X sys tem and believe that they can only be explained in terms of integer qu antum numbers j of the vibronic angular momentum.