Dipole oscillator strengths for the photoabsorption,photoionization and fragmentation of molecular oxygen

The photoabsorption, photoionization and fragmentation of O₂ have been studied using electron impact coincidence methods to obtain branching ratios and dipole oscillator strengths (cross-sections). The photoabsorption measurements cover the energy range 5–300 eV while the formation of electronic states of O₂⁺ (photoelectron spectroscopy) and the resulting ionic fragmentation (photoionization mass spectrometry) are both measured from close to threshold up to photon energies of 75 eV. The binding energy spectra of O₂ show peaks at 33, 47 and 57 eV in addition to those reported elsewhere in the literature. These peaks are assigned to multiple final ion states arising from photoionization of the inner valence orbitals. Structure in the O₂⁺ electronic state partial oscillator strength curves is in good agreement with recent theoretical work which predicts the existence of several shape resonances. A quantitative picture of the dipole-induced breakdown of O₂ is obtained for the energy range 12–75 eV. The photoionization efficiency is found to be constant above 20 eV.