Stability and dissociation dynamics of N₂⁺⁺ ions following core ionization studied by an Auger-electron-photoion coincidence method

An Auger-electron-photoion coincidence (AEPICO) method has been applied to study the stability and dissociation dynamics of dicationic states after the N K-shell photoionization of nitrogen molecules. From time-of-flight and kinetic energy analyses of the product ions, we have obtained coincident Auger spectra associated with metastable states of N₂⁺⁺ ions and dissociative states leading to N₂⁺⁺ → N⁺ + N⁺ and N⁺⁺ + N. To investigate the production of dissociative states, we present two-dimensional AEPICO maps which reveal the correlations between the binding energies of the Auger final states and the ion kinetic energy release. These correlations have been used to determine the dissociation limits of individual Auger final states.