Comment on “Selection rules for the photoionization of diatomic molecules” [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 3033 (1990)

Abstract

In their discussion of the selection rules in the photoionization of diatomic molecules, J. Xie and R. N. Zare [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 3033 (1990)] gave the e/f parity selection rule in the form (e/f)↔(e/f) for ΔJ−12+l=odd (e/f)↔(f/e) for ΔJ−12+l=even. This form is only applicable to molecules with an even number of electrons. It is shown that the general form is (e/f)↔(e/f) for ΔJ−12(−1)n+l=odd (e/f)↔(f/e) for ΔJ−12(−1)n+l=even where n is the number of electrons in the molecule.