Atomic autoionisation following neutral photodissociation of O₂

Abstract

Autoionising states of atomic oxygen have been observed in the neutral photodissociation of molecular oxygen by synchrotron radiation in the range 19-22 eV. The ejected electrons are measured by high resolution electron spectroscopy and a two-dimensional scanning technique is used to distinguish between atomic electrons produced by autoionisation and photoelectrons produced by exciting vibrational states of the molecule. Autoionising series of atomic oxygen are identified which all decay to the O+ 4S ground state.