EXCITATION, DEEXCITATION, AND FRAGMENTATION IN THE CORE REGION OF CONDENSED AND ADSORBED WATER

Using synchrotron radiation, Auger electron, and H+/D +-ion yields have been studied at and above the O 1s excitation energies for condensed H2O/D2O layers of varying thickness, and for two reproducible adsorbate layers (so-called bilayers and monolayers) on Ru(001). Decay electron spectra as well as polarization dependences, angular distributions, and energy distributions of desorbing ions have been investigated. For polarizations with sufficient E component perpendicular to the surface, a sharp peak in the H+ NEXAFS spectrum is seen for all layers which has no direct counterpart in the Auger NEXAFS spectra, and whose intensity maximizes for E oriented in the detection direction. This observation is interpreted as due to the 1a1 → 4a1 core-to-bound transition of the surface molecules whose final state decays electronically and dissociates on comparable time scales. This appears to have the consequence that the symmetry of the coupled excitation is different from that expected for the primary photoabsorption process. There appears also to be an influence of hydrogen bonding on these effects. Similarities and differences between the various layers investigated are also analyzed. © 1990 American Institute of Physics.