Theory of spin polarization phenomena in atomic and molecular photoeffects

A compact invariant expression for the angular distribution of photoelectrons formed as a result of photoionization of axisymmetrically polarized atoms and molecules, including optically active molecules, is derived from the general symmetry considerations and using a recently developed bipolar harmonic reduction technique. In the angular distribution of photoelectrons, as well as in the total photoionization cross section, the dependence on all the geometric parameters is separated completely. The polarization of ionizing radiation can be arbitrary, with the partial polarization being specified by the Stokes parameters. The expression for the angular distribution of photoelectrons escaping from an atomic-molecular system oriented in the first order also determines the structure of the expression for the photoionization cross section of an unpolarized system with allowance for the spin polarization of a photoelectron or a photoion with the spin 1/2. The roles played by circular dichroism, chirality, etc., in the process of photoionization of oriented and aligned systems are analyzed in detail.