title: H2 superexcited states: experimental and theoretical characterization of their competing decay-channel fluorescence, dissociation, and ionization.
abstract: The absolute cross sections for the competing decay channels fluorescence, dissociation, and ionization of photoexcited long-lived superexcited H(2) molecular levels have been measured from the ionization threshold of H(2) up to the H(1s)+H(n=3) dissociation limit. The total and partial natural widths of these levels have been determined. Good agreement is found with first principles calculations carried out by multichannel quantum defect theory. The calculations reproduce the balance between the competing decay processes as well as its substantial level-to-level evolution.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Moléculaire pour l'Atmosphère et l'Astrophysique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glass-Maujean
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Jungen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmoranzer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knie
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Haar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hentges
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kielich
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jänkälä
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ehresmann