Studies of molecular photoionization of simple systems by advanced photon sources

This doctorate thesis reports on a variety of experimental investigations aiming to advance the understanding of fundamental processes in molecules and clusters by exploiting the properties of Synchrotron and FEL radiation: photoionization dynamics, double ionization, dissociation and molecular recognition were subject of investigation. The emphasis of the thesis lies on the application of advanced light sources in the study of photoionization processes in simple gas-phase molecules, with particular attention on chiro-optical properties of chiral systems. The valence photoionization dynamics of a chiral molecule, namely the epichlorohydrin molecule, was studied for the first time and a peculiar electron correlation effect was observed. The experimental data were supported by state-of-the-art theoretical calculations. VUV direct double ionization was studied for the methyl oxirane chiral molecule by the use of Photoelectron-Photoion-Photoion Coincidence spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The chiral recognition mechanism of 1-methoxy-2-propanol oligomers was studied by FEL based IRMPD-VUV vibrational spectroscopy, a technique that exploits the nature of the photoionization process in order to apply the IRMPD spectroscopy to systems of arbitrary structure. The collaboration between the Sapienza University of Rome, the CNR-IOM institute, and the Elettra Instrumentation and Detector Laboratory, has resulted in the development of a position sensitive cross delay line electron detector integrated in an experimental apparatus with the flexibility to perform synchrotron radiation (SR) photoemission experiments on gasphase systems. The improvement of the apparatus detection system has stimulated the collaboration with the Theoretical Chemistry group of the University of Trieste, in a joint experimental and theoretical long-term research activity, whose first part was the study of the photoionization dynamics of the Osmium tetroxide molecule, a highly reactive tetraoxo complex.