Vibrational autoionization in rydberg states of ammonia

Rotationally resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is used to elucidate the mechanism for vibrational autoionization via the nontotally symmetric umbrella vibration of ammonia ( NH3). This mechanism depends strongly on the character of the autoionizing level, and the data demonstrate that both the electronic and rotational degrees of freedom can compensate for the change in vibrational symmetry that occurs for odd changes in the quantum number of the umbrella vibration. This result has implications for models of the mode dependence of vibrational autoionization in polyatomic molecules.

X-ray imaging and microspectroscopy of plants and fungi

X-ray fluorescence microscopy and microspectroscopy with micrometre spatial resolution and unprecedented capabilities for the study of biological and environmental samples are reported. These new capabilities are a result of both the combination of high-brilliance synchrotron radiation and high-performance X-ray microfocusing optics and the intrinsic advantages of X-rays for elemental mapping and chemical-state imaging. In this paper, these capabilities are illustrated by experimental results on hard X-ray phase-contrast imaging, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging and microspectroscopy of mycorrhizal plant roots and fungi in their natural hydrated state. The XRF microprobe is demonstrated by the simultaneous mapping of the elemental distributions of P, S, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn with a spatial resolution of approximately 1 x 3 micron and with an elemental sensitivity of approximately 500 p.p.b. Microspectroscopy with the same spatial resolution is demonstrated by recording near-edge X-ray absorption (XANES) spectra of Mn at a concentration of approximately 3 p.p.m.