Fast fragmentation in core-excited molecules The role of symmetry breaking and nuclear motion

Symmetry breaking is an important phenomenon connected to the excitation of core electrons in molecules. The fundamental question of whether inner-shell electronic-state orbitals are delocalized, and what the underlying mechanism for breaking the symmetry of a molecule upon dissociation are the subject of much debate, especially for the case of diatomic molecules. One method for studying molecular fragmentation, which is based upon a symmetry picture, is multicoincidence ion spectroscopy. Here we give a brief presentation of some of the applications of this technique, where symmetry, nuclear motion and the temporal signature are of importance