Molecular-Photoelectron Angular Distributions as a Probe of Dynamic Symmetry Breaking

Abstract

Molecular-photoelectron angular distributions are shown to depend qualitatively on symmetry-breaking hole localization during inner-shell photoionization. This is illustrated by comparing localized and delocalized calculations of the asymmetry parameter $\ensuremath{\beta}(\ensuremath{\epsilon})$ for $K$-shell photoionization of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ in the vicinity of the $f$-type shape resonance at approximately 10 eV above threshold. Comparison with the isoelectronic CO shows that the $K$-shell $\ensuremath{\beta}(\ensuremath{\epsilon})$ for ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, in the localized treatment, resembles that for the $K$ shell of oxygen rather than carbon in CO.