Multi-reference protocol for (auto)ionization spectra: Application to molecules

We present the application of the spherically averaged continuum model to the evaluation of molecular photoelectron and resonant Auger electron spectra. In this model, the continuum wave function is obtained in a numerically efficient way by solving the radial Schrödinger equation with a spherically averaged molecular potential. Different approximations to the Auger transition matrix element and, in particular, the one-center approximation are thoroughly tested against experimental data for the CH₄, O₂, NO₂, and pyrimidine molecules. In general, this approach appears to estimate the shape of the photoelectron and autoionization spectra as well as the total Auger decay rates with reasonable accuracy, allowing for the interpretation of experimental results.