Multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy of xenon: Experiment and theory

Photoelectron energy and angular distributions for resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of xenon via the three-photon-allowed 7s(3/2)/sub 1//sup 0/ and 5d(3/2)/sub 1//sup 0/ states have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. The electron kinetic energy spectra give the probability of leaving Xe/sup +/ in either the /sup 2/P/sub 1/2/ or /sup 2/P/sub 3/2/ core. The measured branching ratio for leaving each ionic core is used to test the theoretical description of the REMPI process. Measurements of both the angular distributions and the (3+1) REMPI via the 5d state are adequately reproduced by multichannel quantum defect theory. However, measurements of angular distributions for the electrons resulting from (3+1) via the 7s(3/2)/sub 1//sup 0/ state into Xe/sup +/ /sup 2/P/sub 3/2/ (core preserving) or Xe/sup +/ /sup 2/P/sub 1/2/ (core changing) are in striking disagreement with theory. 1 ref., 2 figs