- Editors' Suggestion
Auger-electron–ion coincidence experiment on the molecule following K-shell ionization by electron impact
Phys. Rev. A 113, 032818 – Published 26 March, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/djp1-6wdp
Abstract
An Auger-electron–ion coincidence experiment on was performed using a recently developed electron–ion coincidence imaging spectrometer equipped with a photoemission electron gun. Clear electron–ion energy correlations were observed and used to determine the state-selected dissociation channels and their corresponding dissociation limits. Molecular-frame Auger-electron angular distributions were also obtained and used to determine the symmetry of the contributing dicationic states. Triple-coincidence measurements further demonstrate that Auger electrons in the 350–360 eV region arise predominantly from shake-off ionization, followed by Auger decay into low-lying states that dissociate into . These results establish electron-impact-induced Auger-electron–ion coincidence spectroscopy as a powerful tool for state-selective studies of molecular dication and trication fragmentation dynamics.