Rydberg states lifetime distribution

V. Engel Let me come back to the distribution of lifetimes of the ZEKE Rydberg states. I wonder if there is a simple picture behind. Consider a much simpler molecule, namely the Nal molecule Prof. Zewail told us about. There you have a bound state coupled to a continuum. It can be shown that in such a system the lifetimes of the quasibound states oscillate as a function of energy. In fact, Prof. Child showed with the help of semiclassical methods that there are lifetimes ranging from almost infinity to zero [1]. That can be understood by the two series (neglecting rotation) of vibrational levels obtained from the adiabatic and diabatic picture. If two energy levels of different series are degen-... 

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