We present a kinematically complete study of dissociative ionization of ${\mathrm{D}}_2$ by $13.6\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{u}$ ${\mathrm{S}}^{15+}$ ions. The experiment allows us to unravel the competing mechanisms, namely, direct single ionization, autoionization of doubly excited states, ionization excitation, and double ionization, and to analyze the corresponding electron angular distribution from fixed-in-space molecules. The conclusions are supported by theoretical calculations in which the correlated motion of all electrons and nuclei and the interferences between them are described from first principles.

• Received 30 November 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.173201