ELECTRIC-FIELD EFFECTS ON ZERO-KINETIC-ENERGY PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTRA - AN EXPLANATION OF OBSERVED TRENDS

An explanation is offered for the propensity for large negative changes of rotational angular momentum in ZEKE photoelectron spectra, which is increasingly observed as the rotational constant of the photoion decreases; Stark mixing becomes progressively more important, facilitating multistep rotational autoionization processes. The Inglis-Teller limit serves as a useful benchmark for assessing the importance of electric field effects. A discussion is presented of the relative importance of l mixing and J mixing.