Photoionization of Ar2 at high resolution

The relative photoionization cross section of Ar2 was determined at a resolution of 0.07 A in the wavelength region from 800 to 850 A using a new photoionization mass spectrometer that combines a high intensity helium continuum lamp with a free supersonic molecular beam source. In the region studied, the photoionization cross section is dominated by autoionization of molecular Rydberg states, and the structure is diffuse owing to the combined effects of autoionization and predissociation. The molecular photoionization spectrum is extremely complex and shows little resemblence either to the corresponding atomic spectrum (indicating that the spectrum of the dimer is not simply a perturbed atomic spectrum) or to the molecular absorption spectrum at longer wavelengths. The regular vibrational progressions seen at longer wavelengths are absent above the first ionization potential. Detailed spectroscopic analysis is possible for only a small fraction of the observed features; however, vibrational intervals of 50--100 cm-1 suggest that some of the Rydberg states have B 2Pi/sub 3/2g/ ionic cores. A comparison of the absorption and photoionization spectra shows that, at wavelengths shorter than approx.835 A, many of the excited states decay via mechanisms other than autoionization