A STUDY OF PHOTOELECTRON ANGULAR-DISTRIBUTIONS IN XENON USING A NEW MAGNETIC ANGLE-CHANGING TECHNIQUE

The angular distribution parameter for the Xe P-2(3/2) ion state has b een studied for the Xe 5s(2)5p(6) --> 5s5p(6)np autoionization resonan ces in the energy range between 20 and 24 eV using tunable synchrotron radiation from the Daresbury Laboratory SRS. A new magnetic angle-cha nging technique has been used and is reported for the first time in ph otoionization measurements. This technique allows the angular measurem ents to be made without any movement of the electron spectrometer. The present measurements have been made as continuous functions of both p hoton energy and photoelectron ejection angle which highlights the dra matic effect of those autoionizing resonances on the angular distribut ion parameter.