Vibrationally specific photoionization cross sections of acrolein leading to the X̃²A' ionic state

The vibrational branching ratios in the photoionization of acrolein for ionization leading to the X̃²A' ion state were studied. Computed logarithmic derivatives of the cross section and the corresponding experimental data derived from measured vibrational branching ratios for several normal modes (ν9, ν10, ν11, and ν12) were found to be in relatively good agreement, particularly for the lower half of the 11-100 eV photon energy range considered. Two shape resonances have been found near photon energies of 15.5 and 23 eV in the photoionization cross section and have been demonstrated to originate from the partial cross section of the A' scattering symmetry. The wave functions computed at the resonance complex energies are delocalized over the whole molecule. By looking at the dependence of the cross section on the different normal mode displacements together with the wave function at the resonant energy, a qualitative explanation is given for the change of the cross sections with respect to changing geometry.