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Bozek, John D.

Publications and source records attributed to Bozek, John D..

Ultrafast nuclear dynamics in double-core-ionized water molecules

Double-core-hole (DCH) states in isolated-water and heavy-water molecules, resulting from the sequential absorption of two x-ray photons, have been investigated. Here, a comparison of the subsequent Auger emission spectra from the two isotopes provides direct evidence of ultrafast nuclear motion during the 1.5-fs lifetime of these DCH states. Our numerical results align well with the experimental data, providing for various DCH states an in-depth study of the dynamics responsible of the observed isotope effect.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Resonant Auger decay of iodobenzene below the I 4d edge

New data are presented on the resonant Auger decay of iodobenzene (C 6 H 5 I) in the region of the I 4d –1 ionization threshold. The excited molecules decay by participator and spectator processes to populate single-hole valence states and two-hole, one-particle excited states of the cation, providing new information on the structure of C 6 H 5 I + . Excitation of dissociative C 6 H 5 I (I 4d 5/2,3/2 –1 )σ* resonances can, in principle, result in ultrafast dissociation to C 6 H 5 + I** and the subsequent autoionization of I**, but no evidence for this process is observed. Finally, the results are compared with our recent study of the resonant Auger decay of methyl iodide (CH 3 I).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Resonant Auger decay of dissociating CH 3 I near the I 4d threshold

Resonant Auger processes provide a unique perspective on electronic interactions and excited vibrational and electronic states of molecular ions. Here, new data are presented on the resonant Auger decay of excited CH 3 I in the region just below the I 4d -1 ionization threshold. The resonances include the Rydberg series converging to the five spin–orbit and ligand-field split CH 3 I (I 4d -1 ) thresholds, as well as resonances corresponding to excitation from the I 4d 5/2,3/2 orbitals into the σ* lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. This study focuses on participator decay that populates the lowest lying states of CH 3 I + , in particular, the X̃ 2 E 3/2 and 2 E 1/2 states, and on spectator decay that populates the lowest-lying (CH 3 I 2+ )σ* states of CH 3 I + . The CH 3 I (I 4d -1 )σ* resonances are broad, and dissociation to CH 3 + I competes with the autoionization of the core-excited states. Auger decay as the molecule dissociates produces a photoelectron spectrum with a long progression (up to v 3 + ~ 25) in the C–I stretching mode of the X̃ 2 E 3/2 and 2 E 1/2 states, providing insights into the shape of the dissociative core-excited surface. Further, the observed spectator decay processes indicate that CH 3 I + is formed on the repulsive wall of the lower-lying (CH 3 I 2+ )σ* potentials, and the photon-energy dependence of the processes provides insights into the relative slopes of the (4d -1 )σ* and (CH 3 I 2+ )σ* potential surfaces. Data are also presented for the spectator decay of higher lying CH 3 I (I 4d -1 )nl Rydberg resonances. Photoelectron angular distributions for the resonant Auger processes provide additional information that helps distinguish these processes from the direct ionization signal.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Alternative Pathway to Double-Core-Hole States

Excited double-core-hole states of isolated water molecules resulting from the sequential absorption of two x-ray photons have been investigated. Further, these states are formed through an alternative pathway, where the initial step of core ionization is accompanied by the shake-up of a valence electron, leading to the same final states as in the core-ionization followed by core-excitation pathway. The capability of the x-ray free-electron laser to deliver very intense, very short, and tunable light pulses is fully exploited to identify the two different pathways.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Auger electron angular distributions following excitation or ionization from the Xe 3d and F 1s levels in xenon difluoride

Linearly polarized synchrotron radiation has been used to record polarization dependent, non-resonant Auger electron spectra of XeF 2 , encompassing the bands due to the xenon M 45 N 1 N 45 , M 45 N 23 N 45 , M 45 N 45 N 45 and M 45 N 45 V and fluorine KVV transitions. Resonantly excited Auger spectra have been measured at photon energies coinciding with the Xe 3d 5/2 → σ* and the overlapped Xe 3d 3/2 /F 1s → σ* excitations in XeF 2 . The non-resonant and resonantly excited spectra have enabled the Auger electron angular distributions, as characterized by the β A parameter, to be determined for the M 45 N 45 N 45 transitions. In the photon energy range over which the Auger electron angular distributions were measured, theoretical results indicate that transitions into the εf continuum channel dominate the Xe 3d photoionization in XeF 2 . In this limit, the theoretical value of the atomic alignment parameter (A 20 ) characterizing the core ionized state becomes constant. This theoretical value has been used to obtain the Auger electron intrinsic anisotropy parameters (α 2 ) from the β A parameters extracted from our non-resonant Auger spectra. For a particular Auger transition, the electron kinetic energy measured in the resonantly excited spectrum is higher than that in the directly ionized spectrum, due to the screening provided by the electron promoted into the σ* orbital. The interpretation of the F KVV Auger band in XeF 2 has been discussed in relation to previously published one-site populations of the doubly charged ions (XeF 2 2+ ). Here, the experimental results show that the ionization energies of the doubly charged states predominantly populated in the decay of a vacancy in the F 1s orbital in XeF 2 tend to be higher than those populated in the decay of a vacancy in the Xe 4d level in XeF 2 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Photoabsorption, photoionization, and Auger processes at the carbon K edge in C H 3 I

The dynamics of photoabsorption, photoionization, and the associated Auger decay have been investigated at the carbon K edge in methyl iodide (CH 3 I) using linearly polarized synchrotron radiation. Ion yield measurements were used to investigate transitions in the pre-edge region due to excitations into either unoccupied valence or Rydberg states. The assignment of these transitions was achieved through comparison with theoretical x-ray absorption spectra calculated using time-dependent density functional theory, within the Tamm-Dancoff approximation. Several of the Rydberg states belonging to series converging onto the C1s ionization limit exhibit significant vibrational structure that is also interpreted using theoretical calculations. The C1s in CH 3 I photoelectron spectrum was measured, and the observed vibrational structure was assigned with the aid of theoretical predictions. Polarization dependent, resonantly excited, valence shell photoelectron spectra were recorded at photon energies coinciding with the C1s → σ*, C1s → 6sa1 and C1s → 6pe transitions in CH 3 I , thereby allowing photoelectron angular distributions to be determined. The nonresonantly excited C(KVV) Auger electron spectrum was measured and some of the features observed at high kinetic energies were attributed to transitions into valence orbitals possessing significant iodine character. The contributions of participator and spectator Auger decay to the resonantly excited photoelectron spectra have been assessed. The influence of participator decay appears minor whereas spectator decay results in the enhanced population of satellite states.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗