Resonance-enhanced multiphoton-ionization-photoelectron study of the dissociative recombination and associative ionization of Xe-2(+) - art. no. 052712

Two-photon transitions from the ground state of atomic xenon gas, Xe(S-1(0) ), to Xe* nf and np Rydberg states have been excited in an apparatus that c ombines ion time-of-flight and photoelectron detection capabilities. Eviden ce is presented that shows that xenon atoms excited to nf states with n = 4 -8 undergo rapid associative ionization with ground-state xenon atoms to fo rm Xe-2(+), while those excited to np states with n = 8-11 do not. Subseque nt Xe-2(+) dissociative recombination (DR) favors exit channels where xenon atoms are formed predominately in 6p and 5d excited states. Comparisons wi th older optical studies suggest that photoelectron spectroscopy provides a simple but effective means of studying short-time (ns) DR dynamics.