Molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions in dissociative photoionization of H₂in the region of the Q₁and Q₂doubly excited states

Abstract

Dissociative photoionization of H2 induced by VUV linearly polarized synchrotron radiation P has been studied using the (VH+,Ve,P) vector correlation method. The ion–electron kinetic energy correlation diagrams obtained for the three photon excitation energies hν = 20, 28.5 and 32.5 eV enable us to identify and select the dominant dissociative photoionization processes. The Iχ(θe,ϕe) molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions for any orientation χ of the molecular axis with respect to the polarization are reported for direct photoionization of H2 into the H2+(2Σg+) ionic ground state at hν = 20 eV and for the dominant DPI processes involving autoionization of the H2(Q1 1Σu+(1)) and H2(Q2 1Πu(1)) doubly excited states into the H2+(2Σg+) and H2+(2Σu+) continua at hν = 28.5 and 32.5 eV. They show the dominant excitation of a p σu partial wave in autoionization of the Q1(1Σu+(1)) state into the H2+(1s σg) ionic state and that of a d πg partial wave in autoionization of the Q2(1Πu(1)) state into the H2+(2p σu) continuum. A molecular frame forward–backward electron emission anisotropy is observed when ionization takes place at large internuclear distance.