In:
Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Vol. 315, No. 5812 ( 2007-02-02), p. 629-633
Abstract:
H 2 , the smallest and most abundant molecule in the universe, has a perfectly symmetric ground state. What does it take to break this symmetry? We found that the inversion symmetry can be broken by absorption of a linearly polarized photon, which itself has inversion symmetry. In particular, the emission of a photoelectron with subsequent dissociation of the remaining H + 2 fragment shows no symmetry with respect to the ionic H + and neutral H atomic fragments. This lack of symmetry results from the entanglement between symmetric and antisymmetric H + 2 states that is caused by autoionization. The mechanisms behind this symmetry breaking are general for all molecules.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0036-8075
,
1095-9203
DOI:
10.1126/science.1136598
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Publication Date:
2007
detail.hit.zdb_id:
128410-1
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2066996-3
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2060783-0
SSG:
11