N-VECTOR CORRELATIONS IN COLLISION DYNAMICS WITH ATOMIC ORBITAL ALIGNMENT - THE IMPORTANCE OF COHERENCE DENOTING AZIMUTHAL STRUCTURE FOR N-GREATER-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-3

An introduction is presented of vector correlations in collision experiments involving atomic orbital alignment or orientation. At present, aligned or oriented species can be prepared (or probed) with "relative" ease using polarized laser beams. First, an extensive expose of the necessary mathematical formalisms for two- and three-vector correlations is given, and then experimental examples for atomic Ca are discussed to elucidate the theory. It is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that azimuthal structure about the initial relative velocity vector (called coherence) becomes important when three or more vector quantities are controlled in the collision process.