Theoretical study of molecular-frame angular emission distributions of electrons emitted by interatomic Coulombic decay from helium dimers

Abstract

Molecular frame angular distributions of electrons released by interatomic Coulombic decay of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+*}(2\ensuremath{\ell})\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{He}$ states are studied theoretically by means of electronic structure and nonadiabatic nuclear dynamics calculations. In previous experimental work [Phys. Rev. A 82, 063405 (2010)], distinct variations of the angular emission patterns have been observed for different ranges of kinetic-energy release of the fragment ions. Good agreement between the presently computed and these measured angular distributions can be achieved by assuming nonequal populations of ${}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{g/u}^{+}$ and ${}^{2}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{g/u}$ decaying electronic states via initial shake-up ionization of the dimers.