Coulombic energy transfer and triple ionization in clusters

Area of Science:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Quantum Chemistry
• Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

• Auger decay is a fundamental process following core ionization in atoms and molecules.
• Isolated neon monomers exhibit electronically stable excited Auger decay channels.
• Understanding cluster dynamics is crucial for extending atomic and molecular physics principles to condensed phases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how excited Auger decay channels behave in neon clusters compared to isolated monomers.
• To elucidate the mechanism of electron emission and cluster fragmentation in neon clusters.
• To assess the relevance of cluster-induced Auger decay for broader physical phenomena.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical investigation of neon and its dimer.
• Modeling of excited Auger decay pathways.
• Analysis of electron emission and energy transfer processes within the cluster.

Main Results:

• Excited Auger decay channels, stable in neon monomers, relax via electron emission in neon clusters.
• An efficient energy-transfer mechanism facilitates the decay, leading to a tricationic cluster.
• The observed decay process is ultrafast.

Conclusions:

• Cluster environments significantly alter excited Auger decay dynamics.
• Energy transfer plays a key role in Auger decay in molecular clusters.
• This phenomenon is relevant for understanding core-hole dynamics in extended atomic and molecular systems.