Optical studies of inertially confined molecular iodine ions

We observe the kinetic energy of ionic fragments that result from the Coulomb explosion of molecular iodine ions produced by rapid multiphoton ionization. Because the ion energies produce a clear signature of the molecular ion state from which they originate, we are able to determine the intensity dependence of the molecular multiphoton ionization. Generalizations of atomiclike concepts are used to model the experimental results. Measurements of angular distributions indicate the importance of the molecular polarizability.