EVIDENCE FOR A MOLECULE-ROTATION-DEPENDENT SPIN POLARIZATION TRANSFERMECHANISM IN THE PHOTON-INDUCED AUTOIONIZATION OF HCL AND DCL

High resolution spectra of the angle-integrated photoelectron spin pol arization, after excitation of HCl and DCl with circularly polarized l aser radiation, reveal pronounced rotational autoionization structures . The data, interpreted in terms of Rydberg series converging to limit s with different ionic angular momenta of the (2) Pi(1/2) fine structu re component, clearly indicate a systematic dependence of the sign of the spin polarization on the rotation of the molecular ion core. Appli cation of the current theoretical model leads to consequences for the angular momentum transfer in the autoionization process.