Fragmentation of planetary three–body Coulomb states

Using a novel combination of several experimental techniques for state selective ion and electron spectroscopy, we investigated the decay dynamics of "n1l1n2l2" (4 < n1 < n2 < 80, l1 ≥ 3, l2 > 5) planetary states in strontium after five-laser excitation. As a result, at least two dominant and competing fragmentation mechanisms (autoionization and fluorescence–autoionization cascades) could be identified. Quantitative investigation of these mechanisms and their decomposition into different channels yield a fairly complete picture of the fragmentation dynamics in highly excited three–body Coulomb states.