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X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger spectroscopy studies of gas-phase hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) are presented. The photodissociation of this molecule is studied using various experimental coincidence techniques. We compare the fragmentation pathways observed after core ionization followed by Auger decay and after valence double photoionization of the molecule. A strongly selective production of the doubly charged tetramethyldisiloxane ion is observed in the low binding-energy regions. Theoretical calculations are carried out to tentatively explain the stability of the produced dication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To get further insight into the CH2BrCl site-selective fragmentation previously observed upon inner-shell ionization, we have performed high-resolution Br 3d and Cl 2p Auger and spin-orbit resolved Br 3d Auger spectra, and studied the dissociation properties of the CH2BrCl2+ dication formed at threshold by means of threshold electron pair-ion coincidence measurements. The key point is that the origin of site-specific bond breaking is found in the Auger decay itself, as it preferentially populates selected dication states. Whereas the predominance of the C[Single_Bond]Br bond breaking is observed in both threshold and inner-shell studies, no signature of selective C[Single_Bond]Cl rupture is reported for the dication formed at threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of the plasma initiated in ultrapure water between pairs of tungsten and tantalum electrodes were investigated by time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy. The deexcitation processes of the reactive species formed in the water plasma depended on the electrode material, but had been independent on the polarity of the applied voltage pulses. All the reactive species presented the same evolution with time and have been identified with high concentration in the emission spectra between the pulses. The current-voltage characteristics showed the features of a spark discharge for the both types of electrodes used in the process. When tantalum electrodes were used to generate the discharge, a broad emission continuum (350-940 nm) dominated the spectrum due to a transition to arc discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Auger spectra from the decay of core-ionized N2 have been studied as a function of the exciting photon energy. Discrete features appear in the Auger spectrum when the photon energy is tuned to the shape-resonance region at 420eV. The Auger spectra for two final dicationic states are studied; simulations of the contributions from the decay of the gerade and ungerade core-hole states are made based on a Franck–Condon picture including life time vibrational interference. We are able to reproduce the vibrational fine structure in the Auger spectrum using a model where the coherent sum of the decay channels from the vibrationally-excited states are treated separately for the gerade and ungerade states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Describes the design and the operation of an original, high transmission, electrostatic 'double toroidal' electron energy analyzer. High resolution and high luminosity simultaneous measurement of the kinetic energy and angular distribution of electrons; Use of a two-dimensional position sensitive detector; Shape of the electrodes deduced from analytical and numerical electron trajectory calculations.

Using electron spectroscopy, we have investigated nanoplasma formation from noble gas clusters exposed to high-intensity hard-x-ray pulses at ~5 keV. Our experiment was carried out at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA) facility in Japan. Dedicated theoretical simulations were performed with the molecular dynamics tool XMDYN. We found that in this unprecedented wavelength regime nanoplasma formation is a highly indirect process. In the argon clusters investigated, nanoplasma is mainly formed through secondary electron cascading initiated by slow Auger electrons. Energy is distributed within the sample entirely through Auger processes and secondary electron cascading following photoabsorption, as in the hard x-ray regime there is no direct energy transfer from the field to the plasma. This plasma formation mechanism is specific to the hard-x-ray regime and may, thus, also be important for XFEL-based molecular imaging studies. In xenon clusters, photo- and Auger electrons contribute more significantly to the nanoplasma formation. Good agreement between experiment and simulations validates our modelling approach. This has wide-ranging implications for our ability to quantitatively predict the behavior of complex molecular systems irradiated by high-intensity hard x-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that the undular stray light, diffusely scattered by the optical system of a synchrotron beamline, can play an important role in the formation of high-resolution resonant photoelectron (RPE) spectra. The influence of the stray light is mediated through the Stokes doubling effect, with the Lorentzian tail of the spectral function being replaced by a more complicated form. This effect is shown to appear in the high-resolution resonant photoelectron spectrum of the N2 molecule in which the spectral shape of the “non-Raman (NR) bands” differs qualitatively for the A2Πu and X2Σ+g final states. A particularly large enhancement of the non-Raman Stokes line is observed for the A-state while the picture is inverted for the X-state where the non-Raman band is suppressed. It is shown that the resonant photoemission profile is affected by two qualitatively different detunings, the detuning of the monochromatized line relative to the photoabsorption line and the detuning of the undulator harmonic relative to the same reference line. The experimental data show that the relative intensity of the non-Raman line strongly depends on the tuning of the undulator harmonic with respect to the selected monochromator bandpass, leading to a strong decrease of the Stokes line intensity for certain undulator detunings. A clear red-shift asymmetry for the decrease in the Stokes line intensity is observed when the monochromator line is detuned towards negative photon frequencies, whereas the picture is reverted for the situation of a positively detuned monochromator line. The results show the necessity to control the stray light and to investigate both the Raman and non-Raman contributions to the spectral profiles in order to avoid misinterpretation and in order to make full use of the information available in resonant photoemission spectra of molecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]