AUGER DECAY OF THE MOLECULAR-FIELD SPLIT S-2P CORE-EXCITED STATES IN HS RADICAL

Using synchrotron radiation, very high resolution electron spectra at the 2p --> 6a(1) and 2p --> 3b(2) resonances of H2S have been recorded . Auger transitions from molecular field split S 2p hole states of HS fragment, created by fast dissociation of the core excited H2S, are f ound to reveal different partial rates depending on the symmetry of th e final state. The experiments have made it possible to determine, for the first time, the molecular field splitting of the core levels in a free radical. The molecular field splitting between the 3 sigma(1/2) and 1 pi(3/2) (''2P(3/2)'') levels in the HS fragment is found to be 90(5) meV, which significantly differs from the molecular field splitt ing of the ''S 2p(3/2)'' levels in the H2S molecule. Resonant Auger de cay in the molecule before dissociation is also observed. (C) 1997 Ame rican Institute of Physics.