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Structure and Stability of the Negative Hydrogen Molecular Ion

B. Jordon-Thaden, H. Kreckel, R. Golser, D. Schwalm, M. H. Berg, H. Buhr, H. Gnaser, M. Grieser, O. Heber, M. Lange, O. Novotný, S. Novotny, H. B. Pedersen, A. Petrignani, R. Repnow, H. Rubinstein, D. Shafir, A. Wolf, and D. Zajfman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 193003 – Published 3 November 2011
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Abstract

We present the results of a Coulomb explosion experiment that allows for the imaging of the rovibrational wave function of the metastable H2 ion. Our measurements confirm the predicted large internuclear separation of 6 a.u., and they show that the ion decays by autodetachment rather than by spontaneous dissociation. Imaging of the resulting H2 products reveals a large angular momentum of J=25±2, quantifying the rotation that leads to the metastability of this most fundamental molecular anion.

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  • Received 17 August 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.193003

© 2011 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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The Simplest Molecular Anion

Published 3 November 2011

Experiments map the structure and decay of the elusive H2 molecular ion.

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Authors & Affiliations

B. Jordon-Thaden1, H. Kreckel1,*, R. Golser2, D. Schwalm1,3, M. H. Berg1, H. Buhr3,1, H. Gnaser4, M. Grieser1, O. Heber3, M. Lange1, O. Novotný1,5, S. Novotny1, H. B. Pedersen1,†, A. Petrignani1,‡, R. Repnow1, H. Rubinstein3, D. Shafir3, A. Wolf1, and D. Zajfman3

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
  • 2Universität Wien, Fakultät für Physik–Isotopenforschung, 1090 Wien, Austria
  • 3Department of Particle Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
  • 4Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
  • 5Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, 550 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, USA

  • *hkreckel@illinois.edu Present address: Chemistry Department, University of Illinois, 61801 Urbana, IL, USA.
  • Present address: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
  • Present address: Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.

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Issue

Vol. 107, Iss. 19 — 4 November 2011

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