Imaging and time-resolved coincidence techniques are combined to determine ion-electron $({\overrightarrow{v}}_i,{\overrightarrow{v}}_e)$ velocity correlations in dissociative photoionization of diatomic molecules induced by synchrotron linearly polarized light $\overrightarrow{P}$. The $({\overrightarrow{v}}_i,{\overrightarrow{v}}_e,\overrightarrow{P})$ vector correlation yields the identification of each process, together with the ( ${\theta }_e$, ${\phi }_e$) electron emission in the molecule frame for each orientation of the internuclear axis with respect to the polarization. Strong electron emission anisotropies are observed in the NO molecule frame for the parallel and the perpendicular transitions of the $\mathrm{NO}+h\nu (22–25\mathrm{eV})\to {\mathrm{NO}}^{+}\left(c^3\Pi \right)+e\to {\mathrm{N}}^{+}{(}^{3}P)+\mathrm{O}{(}^{3}P)+e$ reaction.

• Received 30 November 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.5987