Changes in the SO2 geometry during the laser-induced multiple ionization and fragmentation

The average nuclear geometry of SO2 molecules during the laser-induced multielectronic ionization and multifragmentation is probed by Coulomb explosion into multicharged atomic fragments. An evolution from the initial bent structure to a linear configuration is observed as the number of removed electrons increases from 3 to 11 in the 10(15) W cm(-2) laser intensity range. This observation shows that the multiple ionization does not follow a simple sequential pattern from the less bound 8a(1) to the more tightly bound 2b(1) electrons of the SO2 molecule.