Structure and stability of the negative hydrogen molecular ion

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Nov 4;107(19):193003. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.193003. Epub 2011 Nov 3.

Abstract

We present the results of a Coulomb explosion experiment that allows for the imaging of the rovibrational wave function of the metastable H2- ion. Our measurements confirm the predicted large internuclear separation of 6 a.u., and they show that the ion decays by autodetachment rather than by spontaneous dissociation. Imaging of the resulting H2 products reveals a large angular momentum of J = 25 ± 2, quantifying the rotation that leads to the metastability of this most fundamental molecular anion.