L'autoionisation dans les molécules biatomiques: un exemple d'autoionisation électrostatique dans CO.

A review is presented of the different types of autoionization which have been studied theoretically in diatomic molecules: electronic (or electrostatic), rotational, spin-orbit and vibrational autoionizations. An example involving a large number of vibrational channels is treated. It concerns the electrostatic autoionization in the 730-708 Angstöm wavelength region which appears in the CO photoionization spectrum. The structure observed at 721 Angstrôm is explained by the enhancement in intensity of numerous levels of Rydberg series converging to excited levels of the A 2Pi state caused by two autoionized Rydberg levels with a B 2Sigma+ core