EXPECTED STRONG ANGULAR-DEPENDENCE OF MULTI-IONIZATION CROSS-SECTIONSOF DIATOMIC-MOLECULES

In the framework of a simple (atomic) model, already developed by othe r authors to compare ionization cross sections fur diatomic molecules oriented with intranuclear axis parallel or perpendicular to an ion be am, we have calculated the dependence of multi-ionization cross sectio ns upon any relative orientation of the internuclear axis and the impi nging ion direction. The results of our calculations are shown to fair ly reproduce experimental data recently published about doubly ionized CO molecules. They suggest caution and increased attention to these o rientation effects in the determination of kinetic energy distribution s of fragments, dissociation fractions, and branching ratios for highl y ionized molecules.