Molecular-Photoelectron Angular Distributions as a Probe of Dynamic Symmetry Breaking

Molecular-photoelectron angular distributions are shown to depend qualitatively on symmetry-breaking hole localization during inner-shell photoionization. This is illustrated by comparing localized and delocalized calculations of the asymmetry parameter β(ε) for K-shell photoionization of N₂ in the vicinity of the f-type shape resonance at approximately 10 eV above threshold. Comparison with the isoelectronic CO shows that the K-shell β(ε) for N₂, in the localized treatment, resembles that for the K shell of oxygen rather than carbon in CO.