Competition between atomic and molecular Auger decays: Study of the resonant Auger decay of HBr after the Br 3d→σ*transition

Abstract

High-resolution (width ∼0.12 eV) resonant Auger spectra of HBr and DBr after the Br 3d→${\mathrm{\sigma }}^{\mathrm{*}}$ transition are reported. Besides the atomic decay of ${\mathrm{Br}}^{\mathrm{*}}$(3${\mathit{d}}^9$4${\mathit{s}}^2$4${\mathit{p}}^6$) produced by dissociation of HBr after the antibonding transition, the molecular decay of ${\mathrm{HBr}}^{\mathrm{*}}$(3${\mathit{d}}^9$ ${\mathrm{\sigma }}^{\mathrm{*}1}$) is also observed in this high-resolution study. Competition between the atomic and molecular decay is influenced by varying the photon energy and by isotopic substitution.