Resonant Auger Decay of Molecules in Intense X-Ray Laser Fields: Light-Induced Strong Nonadiabatic Effects

Abstract

The resonant Auger process is studied in intense x-ray laser fields. It is shown that the dressing of the initial and decaying states by the field leads to coupled complex potential surfaces which, even for diatomic molecules, possess intersections at which the nonadiabatic couplings are singular. HCl is studied as an explicit showcase example. The exact results differ qualitatively from those without rotations. A wealth of nonadiabatic phenomena is expected in decay processes in intense x-ray fields.