Photoionization cross sections of rovibrational levels of the B 1Σ+/sub u/ state of H2

We report theoretical cross sections for direct photoionization of specific rovibrational levels of the B 1Σ+/sub u/ electronic state of H2. The calculated cross sections differ considerably from values recently determined by resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) studies. In an attempt to understand the disagreement, we analyze in detail the REMPI dynamics and find that the multiphoton ionization probability is extremely sensitive to the spatial and temporal profiles of the laser pulses. Accurate characterization of laser profiles and their jitter is therefore necessary for a comparison between theory and experiment