Effect of electronic alignment upon the reaction ${2\mathrm{N}\mathrm{a}}^{}$${(\mathrm{}}^2$${\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}$)→${\mathrm{Na}}_2$ ++${\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{-}}$

The 3p electrons of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ are aligned with the use of a single-mode linearly polarized laser. The reaction occurs at subthermal kinetic energy in a single atomic beam. The ion yield decreases by ∼50% when the electric vector of the light is rotated 45° from a direction parallel to the sodium beam. A polarization effect for this reaction has been previously described and our data disagree with those results.