Electron-pair excitations and the molecular Coulomb continuum

Area of Science:

• Quantum mechanics
• Atomic and molecular physics
• Chemical physics

Background:

• Molecular hydrogen photodouble ionization is a complex quantum process.
• Understanding electron-pair excitations is crucial for describing molecular dynamics.
• Previous models were limited in describing higher angular momenta.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the heliumlike description of molecular photodouble ionization to higher electron-pair angular momenta.
• To develop a new theoretical framework for electron-pair excitations in molecular hydrogen.
• To explain recent experimental observations of noncoplanar angular distributions.

Main Methods:

• Quantizing rotations of the electron-pair momentum plane about the relative momentum.
• Extending a heliumlike description to accommodate higher angular momenta.
• Employing a simple three-state superposition model.

Main Results:

• A new method for describing electron-pair excitations in the molecular hydrogen continuum was developed.
• The theoretical model successfully accounts for higher angular momenta.
• A three-state superposition model surprisingly well explains recent experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The proposed theoretical framework provides an accurate description of electron-pair excitations in molecular hydrogen.
• The method successfully extends previous models to higher angular momenta.
• The findings offer a new perspective on molecular photodouble ionization dynamics.