Energy dependence of the differential photoelectron cross sections of molecular nitrogen

Abstract

The angular distribution of photoelectron intensity for molecular nitrogen was studied using He i and Ne i resonance line discharge light sources. Studies of photoelectron angular distributions covering a range of photon energies, and thus a range of photoelectron energies, are possible using the weaker high order lines in each discharge as well as the principal lines. Peaks in three photoelectron bands of N₂ were studied at the photon energies 16.85, 19.78, 21.22, 23.09, and 23.74 eV, where possible. We find that the v′=0 peak of the X ²Σ⁺_g band has abnormally high intensity and, at the higher photon energies, an abnormally low angular distribution asymmetry parameter, β. Several mechanisms for this anomaly are discussed, including autoionization, the variation of electric dipole transition moments with internuclear distance, and possible shape resonance phenomena. None of these explanations is completely in agreement with all theoretical and experimental evidence.