# Double ionization of a three-electron atom: Spin correlation effects

## TL;DR

This study investigates how spin and wave function symmetries influence double ionization in three-electron atoms, revealing that electrons with opposite spins predominantly contribute to double ionization processes.

## Contribution

It introduces a numerical approach to analyze spin effects in three-electron systems and highlights fundamental differences from two-electron ionization schemes.

## Key findings

- Double ionization is dominated by electrons with opposite spins.
- Three-electron effects significantly alter ionization yields.
- Fundamental differences exist between three-electron and two-electron ionization schemes.

## Abstract

We study the effects of spin degrees of freedom and wave function symmetries on double ionization in three-electron systems. Each electron is assigned one spatial degree of freedom. The resulting three-dimensional Schr\"odinger equation is integrated numerically using grid-based Fourier transforms. We reveal three-electron effects on the double ionization yield by comparing signals for different ionization channels. We explain our findings by the existence of fundamental differences between three-electronic and truly two-electronic spin-resolved ionization schemes. We find, for instance, that double ionization from a three-electron system is dominated by electrons that have the opposite spin.