Near threshold TDCS for photo-double ionization of helium

TDCS for photo-double ionization of helium have been measured in a PhotoElectron-PhotoElectron COincidence (PEPECO) experiment. The TDCS have been obtained for the first time at very low excess energies E, 0.6 eV<E<2 eV, for both equal and unequal energy sharing between the two outgoing electrons. The measured data are compared with the predictions of the Wannier model, and also with recent, non-Wannier, ab initio calculations. In addition, also for the first time, the relative magnitudes of the various TDCS measured have been determined in this excess energy region, suggesting a departure from the predictions of the Wannier model at the largest excess energy studied, E=2 eV.