Photoelectron recapture through post-collision interaction in N2

Photoelectron spectroscopy has been applied to investigate electron emissions from excited atomic fragments in the vicinity of the K-shell ionization threshold of N2. It is found that low kinetic energy electrons are emitted in the photon energy region both immediately below and above the K-shell ionization threshold. The electron emissions are attributable to autoionization from the excited fragments in low-n Rydberg states. The N2+* states leading to the formation of the excited fragments which autoionize with emitting slow electrons, are populated not only by spectator Auger decay from the core-excited states, but also by the recapture of slow photoelectrons into the Rydberg orbitals.