Abstract
The effect of the Coriolis interaction upon the sharing of energy between rotational and vibrational excitation during an electronic transition is considered with particular emphasis on recoil-induced excitation during photoionization. If there is a large change in equilibrium bond length upon ionization, then Coriolis coupling leads to a significant transfer of energy between rotational and vibrational excitation. Experimental results for valence ionization of and CO and for carbon ionization of CO show evidence of this effect.
- Received 1 October 2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.90.052504
©2014 American Physical Society