Long-lived, highly excited neutral hydrogen atom production following oxygen 1s photoexcitation of gas-phase water molecules

Abstract

We have studied the production of long-lived, highly excited, neutral hydrogen atom fragments following oxygen 1s inner-shell excitation/ionization of gas-phase water molecules using synchrotron radiation. Striking differences to fragment ion and low-n neutral H yields are observed close to threshold. To investigate the decay pathways involved, the neutral fragments were also detected in coincidence with H+, O2 +, O+ and OH+ fragments.