Molecular photodissociation studied by VUV and soft x-ray radiation

A brief account of the developments in photodissociation studies of free molecules by VUV and soft x-ray sources is given as an extended introduction. Then two typical experimental setups are described for multiple-ion coincidence momentum imaging and high-resolution Auger electron–ion coincidence momentum imaging. Finally, some individual cases of molecular dissociation following core-hole creation are examined, to illustrate how the complex multidimensional data produced can be represented and interpreted. The new experimental techniques based on Coulomb explosion are shown to allow direct characterization of the initial nuclear motions which follow electronic excitation.