Multichannel interactions in the resonant photoionization of HCl

Abstract

Vibrational state distributions of the A 2Σ+ excited state of HCl+ were measured by dispersed fluorescence following resonant photoionization. Autoionization of levels excited at the NeI resonance line strongly influence the vibrational branching ratios of the A 2Σ+ state although not in accord with the propensity rule expected for vibrational autoionization. Other measurements utilizing total fluorescence yields and synchrotron radiation confirm the presence of competing dissociation channels for autoionizing Rydberg states converging to the A 2Σ+ limit. These results are discussed in terms of the multichannel interactions responsible for determining the observed ion and fragment product distributions.