A new effect in the depolarization of resonant light scattering from molecules in the vapor phase: I2☆

Abstract Theoretical discussions of the depolarization ratios in two types of resonance processes are given. These processes are discrete state resonance fluorescence, and Raman scattering when the resonance is between a bound state and evanescent-dissociative states. Theory predicts a dramatic difference for these two cases due to a quantum mechanical phase cancellation in the case of virtual dissociative states. The predictions have been verified experimentally.