Three-photon resonant four-photon ionization of H_2 via the C^1 ∏_u state

Ab initio calculations are presented for the vibrational branching ratios in three-photon resonant four-photon ionization of H_2 via the C^1Π_u state. Energy and internuclear distance dependences of the boundfree electronic transition matrix element are explicitly included to estimate deviations from the Franck-Condon approximation. While our calculated branching ratios confirm certain important trends seen experimentally, some differences remain

Resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization studies of atomic oxygen

In resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), an atom absorbs several photons making a transition to a resonant intermediate state and subsequently ionizing out of it. With currently available tunable narrow-band lasers, the extreme sensitivity of REMPI to the specific arrangement of levels can be used to selectively probe minute amounts of a single species (atom) in a host of background material. Determination of the number density of atoms from the observed REMPI signal requires a knowledge of the multiphoton ionization cross sections. The REMPI of atomic oxygen was investigated through various excitation schemes that are feasible with available light sources. Using quantum defect theory (QDT) to estimate the various atomic parameters, the REMPI dynamics in atomic oxygen were studied incorporating the effects of saturation and a.c. Stark shifts. Results are presented for REMPI probabilities for excitation through various 2p(3) (4S sup o) np(3)P and 2p(3) (4S sup o) nf(3)F levels

Photoionization cross sections of rovibrational levels of the B^1Σ^+_u state of H_2

We report theoretical cross sections for direct photoionization of specific rovibrational levels of the B ^1Σ^+_u electronic state of H_2. The calculated cross sections differ considerably from values recently determined by resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) studies. In an attempt to understand the disagreement, we analyze in detail the REMPI dynamics and find that the multiphoton ionization probability is extremely sensitive to the spatial and temporal profiles of the laser pulses. Accurate characterization of laser profiles and their jitter is therefore necessary for a comparison between theory and experiment

An equations of motion approach for open shell systems

A straightforward scheme is developed for extending the equations of motion formalism to systems with simple open shell ground states. Equations for open shell random phase approximation (RPA) are given for the cases of one electron outside of a closed shell in a nondegenerate molecular orbital and for the triplet ground state with two electrons outside of a closed shell in degenerate molecular orbitals. Applications to other open shells and extension of the open shell EOM to higher orders are both straightforward. Results for the open shell RPA for lithium atom and oxygen molecule are given

(2+1) resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization of H_2 via the E, F^(1)Σ^+_g state

In this paper, we report the results of ab initio calculations of photoelectron angular distributions and vibrational branching ratios for the (2+1) REMPI of H_2 via the E, F^(1)Σ^+_g state, and compare these with the experimental data of Anderson et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 105, 22 (1984)]. These results show that the observed non‐Franck–Condon behavior is predominantly due to the R dependence of the transition matrix elements, and to a lesser degree to the energy dependence. This work presents the first molecular REMPI study employing a correlated wave function to describe the Rydberg–valence mixing in the resonant intermediate state

Vibrational branching ratios in photoionization of CO and N2

We report results of experimental and theoretical studies of the vibrational branching ratios for CO 4sigma(-1) photoionization from 20 to 185 eV. Comparison with results for the 2sigma(u)(-1) channel of the isoelectronic N-2 molecule shows the branching ratios for these two systems to be qualitatively different due to the underlying scattering dynamics: CO has a shape resonance at low energy but lacks a Cooper minimum at higher energies whereas the situation is reversed for N-2

Shape resonances in the photoionization of cyanogen

We have studied the photoionization cross sections and photoelectron asymmetry parameters for ionization of the 1pig(X 2Pig), 5sigmag(A 2Sigma + g), and 4sigmau(B 2Sigma + u) levels of cyanogen using frozen-core Hartree–Fock photoelectron continuum orbitals. The main purpose of these studies has been to extend our understanding of the dynamics of shape resonances from earlier studies of diatomic and smaller polyatomic molecules to a larger polyatomic system. The results do, in fact, reveal a rich shape resonant structure in the electronic continuum of this polyatomic system. There is a low-energy sigmau resonance which, as expected, is the C–C analog of the l=3 shape resonance seen in N2(3sigma - 1g) and several other diatomics. In contrast to this diatomic-like behavior, the presence of the two CN groups in C2N2 results in a second sigmau and a sigmag resonance corresponding to linear combinations of a l=3 shape resonance localized on the CN sites. Moreover, our results also show a pronounced shape resonant behavior in the piu continuum, which, to our knowledge, has not been seen in smaller molecules

Some applications of excited-state-excited-state transition densities

We derive an approximation for transition moments between excited states consistent with the approximations and assumptions normally used to obtain transition moments betwen the ground and excited states in the random-phase approximation and its higher-order approximations. We apply the result to the calculation of the photoionization cross sections of the 23S and 21S metastable states of helium by a numerical analytical continuation of the frequency-dependent polarizability. The procedure completely avoids the need for continuum basis functions. The cross sections agree well with the results of other calculations. We also predict an accurate two-photon decay rate for the 21S metastable state of helium. The entire procedure is immediately applicable to several problems involving photoionization of metastable states of molecules

Molecular photoionization as a probe of vibrational–rotational–electronic correlations

We determine the rotationally state‐resolved 2σ_u^(−1) photoionization of N_2 into alternative vibrational channels as a function of energy over a 200 eV range. Experiment and theory reveal that Cooper minima highlight the coupling between electronic, vibrational, and rotational degrees of freedom over this very wide range

Discrete-basis-set calculation for e-N2 scattering cross sections in the static-exchange approximation

Calculations are reported for low-energy e-N2 scattering cross sections in the static-exchange approximation. Our approach involves solving the Lippman-Schwinger equation for the transition operator in a subspace of Gaussian functions. A new feature of the method is the analytical evaluation of matrix elements of the free-particle Green's function. Another development is the use of an analytical transformation to obtain single-center expansion coefficients for the scattering amplitude from our multicenter discrete-basis-set representation of the T matrix. We present results for the total elastic and rotational excitation cross sections, and the momentum-transfer cross section, for incident electron energies from 0.5 to 10 eV. Comparison is made with other theoretical results and experimental data