Evidence of sequential interatomic decay in argon trimers obtained by electron–triple-ion coincidence spectroscopy

• Published in: Journal of physics. B, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. F1 - F7
• Main Authors: Liu, X-J, Saito, N, Fukuzawa, H, Morishita, Y, Stoychev, S, Kuleff, A, Suzuki, I H, Tamenori, Y, Richter, R, Prümper, G, Ueda, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 14.01.2007; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Atomic and molecular physics; Atomic properties and interactions with photons; Auger effect and inner-shell excitation or ionization; Exact sciences and technology; Photon interactions with atoms; Physics; Auger effect; Inner-shell ionization; Photoionization; Energy distribution; Coincidence methods; Argon; Kinetic energy; Triatomic molecule; Atomic clusters
• ISSN: 0953-4075; 1361-6455
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-4075/40/1/F01

Sequential interatomic decay, where the first step is an Auger decay with interatomic character and the second step is a pure interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD), is identified in Ar trimers Ar3. The 2p hole state in Ar3 decays via the L2,3M1M2,3 Auger to the one-site two-hole states Ar++(3s-13p-1)-Ar-Ar that couples to the two-site satellite states Ar+(3p-2n)-Ar+(3p-1)-Ar. These states are subject to ICD to the states Ar+(3p-1)-Ar+(3p-1)-Ar+(3p-1), in which the n electron fills the 3p hole in the same Ar site and one of the 3p electrons in the third Ar site is emitted as a slow ICD electron. This ICD process is identified unambiguously by electron-ion-ion-ion coincidence spectroscopy in which the kinetic energy of the slow ICD electron and the kinetic energy release among the three Ar+ ions are measured in coincidence.