Two- and Three-Body Kinematical Correlation in the Dissociative Recombination ofH3+

Fragmentation patterns for dissociative recombination of the triatomic hydrogen molecular ion ${\mathrm{H}}_3^{+}$ in the vibrational ground state have been measured using the storage ring technique and molecular fragment imaging. A broad distribution of vibrational states in the ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ fragment after two-body dissociation and a large predominance of nearly linear momentum geometries after three-body dissociation are found. The fragmentation results are directly contrasted with Coulomb explosion imaging data on the initial ${\mathrm{H}}_3^{+}$ geometry, compared to existing wave-packet calculations, and considered in the light of a simple physical picture.