Decay Processes in Cationic Alkali Metals in Microsolvated Clusters: A Complex Absorbing Potential Based Equation-of-Motion Coupled Cluster Investigation

We have employed the highly accurate complex absorbing potential based ionization potential equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (CAP-IP-EOM-CCSD) method to study the various intermolecular decay processes in ionized metals (Li$^{+}$, Na$^{+}$, K$^{+}$) microsolvated by water molecules. For the Li atom, the electron is ionized from the 1s subshell. However, for Na and K atoms, the electron is ionized from 2s and both 2s and 2p subshells, respectively. We have investigated decay processes for the Li$^{+}$-(H$_{2}$O)$_{n}$; (n=1-3) systems as well as Na$^{+}$-(H$_{2}$O)$_{n}$; (n=1,2), and K$^{+}$-H$_{2}$O. The Lithium cation in water can decay only via electron transfer mediated decay (ETMD) as there are no valence electrons in Lithium. We have investigated how the various decay processes change in the presence of different alkali metal atoms and how the increasing number of water molecules play a significant role in the decay of microsolvated systems. To see the effect of the environment, we have studied the Li$^{+}$-NH$_{3}$ (in comparison to Li$^{+}$-H$_{2}$O). In the case of Na$^{+}$-H$_{2}$O, we have studied the impact of bond distance on the decay width. The effect of polarization on decay width is checked for the X$^{+}$-H$_{2}$O; X=Li, Na. We have used the PCM model to study the polarization effect. We have compared our results with the existing theoretical and experimental results wherever available in the literature.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures (including graphical-TOC

Attosecond spectroscopy reveals alignment dependent core-hole dynamics in the ICl molecule.

The removal of electrons located in the core shells of molecules creates transient states that live between a few femtoseconds to attoseconds. Owing to these short lifetimes, time-resolved studies of these states are challenging and complex molecular dynamics driven solely by electronic correlation are difficult to observe. Here, we obtain few-femtosecond core-excited state lifetimes of iodine monochloride by using attosecond transient absorption on iodine 4d-16p transitions around 55 eV. Core-level ligand field splitting allows direct access of excited states aligned along and perpendicular to the ICl molecular axis. Lifetimes of 3.5 ± 0.4 fs and 4.3 ± 0.4 fs are obtained for core-hole states parallel to the bond and 6.5 ± 0.6 fs and 6.9 ± 0.6 fs for perpendicular states, while nuclear motion is essentially frozen on this timescale. Theory shows that the dramatic decrease of lifetime for core-vacancies parallel to the covalent bond is a manifestation of non-local interactions with the neighboring Cl atom of ICl

Attosecond spectroscopy reveals alignment dependent core-hole dynamics in the ICl molecule

The removal of electrons located in the core shells of molecules creates transient states that live between a few femtoseconds to attoseconds. Owing to these short lifetimes, time-resolved studies of these states are challenging and complex molecular dynamics driven solely by electronic correlation are difficult to observe. Here, we obtain few-femtosecond core-excited state lifetimes of iodine monochloride by using attosecond transient absorption on iodine 4 d −1 6 p transitions around 55 eV. Core-level ligand field splitting allows direct access of excited states aligned along and perpendicular to the ICl molecular axis. Lifetimes of 3.5 ± 0.4 fs and 4.3 ± 0.4 fs are obtained for core-hole states parallel to the bond and 6.5 ± 0.6 fs and 6.9 ± 0.6 fs for perpendicular states, while nuclear motion is essentially frozen on this timescale. Theory shows that the dramatic decrease of lifetime for core-vacancies parallel to the covalent bond is a manifestation of non-local interactions with the neighboring Cl atom of ICl

Electron transfer mediated decay of alkali dimers attached to He nanodroplets

Alkali metal dimers attached to the surface of helium nanodroplets are found to be efficiently doubly ionized by electron transfer-mediated decay (ETMD) when photoionizing the helium droplets. This process is evidenced by detecting in coincidence two energetic ions created by Coulomb explosion and one low-kinetic energy electron. The kinetic energy spectra of ions and electrons are reproduced by simple model calculations based on diatomic potential energy curves, and are in agreement with ab initio calculations for the He-Na_2 and He-KRb systems. This work demonstrates that ETMD is an important decay channel in heterogeneous nanosystems exposed to ionizing radiation

Real-time observation of X-ray-induced intramolecular and interatomic electronic decay in CH2I2

The increasing availability of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has catalyzed the development of single-object structural determination and of structural dynamics tracking in realtime. Disentangling the molecular-level reactions triggered by the interaction with an XFEL pulse is a fundamental step towards developing such applications. Here we report real-time observations of XFEL-induced electronic decay via short-lived transient electronic states in the diiodomethane molecule, using a femtosecond near-infrared probe laser. We determine the lifetimes of the transient states populated during the XFEL-induced Auger cascades and find that multiply charged iodine ions are issued from short-lived (similar to 20 fs) transient states, whereas the singly charged ones originate from significantly longer-lived states (similar to 100 fs). We identify the mechanisms behind these different time scales: contrary to the short-lived transient states which relax by molecular Auger decay, the long-lived ones decay by an interatomic Coulombic decay between two iodine atoms, during the molecular fragmentation

Effect of Charge and Solvation Shell on Non-Radiative Decay Processes in s-Block Cationic Metal Ion Water Clusters

A molecular cluster's inner valence ionized state undergoes autoionization, which is nonlocal by nature. In a molecular system, when the inner valence's ionization potential (IP) is higher than the double ionization energy (DIP), it is energetically favorable for the initially ionized system to emit a secondary electron and reach a final state which is lower in energy. This relaxation usually happens via intermolecular coulombic decay (ICD) or electron transfer-mediated decay (ETMD). We have choosen the Na$^+$-(H$_2$O)$_{n=1-5}$ and Mg$^{2+}$-(H$_2$O)$_{m=1-5}$ cluster as the test systems. These systems are also found in the human body, which makes this study important. We have calculated the IP, DIP values, and the lifetime of Na-2s and Mg-2s temporary bound states (TBSs) in these clusters to study the effect of solvation on IP, DIP, and the lifetime of Na-2s and Mg-2s TBSs. We observe a considerable increase (96\%) in the lifetime of the Na-2s TBS in the second solvated shell structure in Na$^+$-(H$_ 2$O)$_{n=2}$ compared to the first solvated one. However, the increase in the lifetime of the Mg-2s state in the second solvation shell is only 33\%. We have revealed the different factors that affect the lifetime of TBSs and which type of decay process (ICD or ETMD) is dominant. We have shown how the charge of metal ions and increased water molecules affect the decay rate. We have shown that the decay of Mg-2p is also possible in all magnesium-water clusters, but it is not valid for the decay of Na-2p.Comment: 10 page double column document, 2 figures, 4 table

Attosecond spectroscopy reveals alignment dependent core-hole dynamics in the ICl molecule.

The removal of electrons located in the core shells of molecules creates transient states that live between a few femtoseconds to attoseconds. Owing to these short lifetimes, time-resolved studies of these states are challenging and complex molecular dynamics driven solely by electronic correlation are difficult to observe. Here, we obtain few-femtosecond core-excited state lifetimes of iodine monochloride by using attosecond transient absorption on iodine 4d-16p transitions around 55 eV. Core-level ligand field splitting allows direct access of excited states aligned along and perpendicular to the ICl molecular axis. Lifetimes of 3.5 ± 0.4 fs and 4.3 ± 0.4 fs are obtained for core-hole states parallel to the bond and 6.5 ± 0.6 fs and 6.9 ± 0.6 fs for perpendicular states, while nuclear motion is essentially frozen on this timescale. Theory shows that the dramatic decrease of lifetime for core-vacancies parallel to the covalent bond is a manifestation of non-local interactions with the neighboring Cl atom of ICl

Attosecond spectroscopy reveals alignment dependent core-hole dynamics in the ICl molecule

The removal of electrons located in the core shells of molecules creates transient states that live between a few femtoseconds to attoseconds. Owing to these short lifetimes, time-resolved studies of these states are challenging and complex molecular dynamics driven solely by electronic correlation are difficult to observe. Here, we obtain few-femtosecond core-excited state lifetimes of iodine monochloride by using attosecond transient absorption on iodine 4d(-1)6p transitions around 55eV. Core-level ligand field splitting allows direct access of excited states aligned along and perpendicular to the ICl molecular axis. Lifetimes of 3.50.4fs and 4.3 +/- 0.4fs are obtained for core-hole states parallel to the bond and 6.5 +/- 0.6fs and 6.9 +/- 0.6fs for perpendicular states, while nuclear motion is essentially frozen on this timescale. Theory shows that the dramatic decrease of lifetime for core-vacancies parallel to the covalent bond is a manifestation of non-local interactions with the neighboring Cl atom of ICl. Here the authors report a study measuring lifetimes of core-hole states of ICl molecule using attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. They find that lifetimes depend on the alignment of the orbital relative to the molecular axis

Mechanisms of one-photon two-site double ionization after resonant inner-valence excitation in Ne clusters

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