Molecular-Photoelectron Angular Distributions as a Probe of Dynamic Symmetry Breaking

Abstract

Molecular-photoelectron angular distributions are shown to depend qualitatively on symmetry-breaking hole localization during inner-shell photoionization. This is illustrated by comparing localized and delocalized calculations of the asymmetry parameter $\beta \left(\epsilon \right)$ for $K$-shell photoionization of ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ in the vicinity of the $f$-type shape resonance at approximately 10 eV above threshold. Comparison with the isoelectronic CO shows that the $K$-shell $\beta \left(\epsilon \right)$ for ${\mathrm{N}}_2$, in the localized treatment, resembles that for the $K$ shell of oxygen rather than carbon in CO.