We report the first direct observation of ultrafast dynamics in molecules induced by ionizing radiation. We use high harmonic upconversion process to generate soft-x-ray pulses of few femtoseconds duration, which photoionize N2 molecule. This leads to the formation of highly excited N2+ ions via inner-shell ionization and electron shakeup processes. We time resolve the unexplored fragmentation dynamics of the electron shakeup states with femtosecond resolution using a strong-field IR probe. The IR pulse promotes the dissociating N2+ wavepacket to repulsive N22+ potential. We obtain kinetic energy release of N+/N+ channel as function of time delay and observe a rapid transition from spherically-symmetric molecular potential to a two-center potential within ~150 fs.
BT - Journal of Physics: Conference Series DA - 2007-11 DO - 10.1088/1742-6596/88/1/012037 M1 - 1 N2 -We report the first direct observation of ultrafast dynamics in molecules induced by ionizing radiation. We use high harmonic upconversion process to generate soft-x-ray pulses of few femtoseconds duration, which photoionize N2 molecule. This leads to the formation of highly excited N2+ ions via inner-shell ionization and electron shakeup processes. We time resolve the unexplored fragmentation dynamics of the electron shakeup states with femtosecond resolution using a strong-field IR probe. The IR pulse promotes the dissociating N2+ wavepacket to repulsive N22+ potential. We obtain kinetic energy release of N+/N+ channel as function of time delay and observe a rapid transition from spherically-symmetric molecular potential to a two-center potential within ~150 fs.
PY - 2007 EP - 012037 T2 - Journal of Physics: Conference Series TI - Direct time resolved observation of molecular dynamics induced by soft-x-ray photoionization UR - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/88/1/012037 VL - 88 ER -