The analysis of magnetic-state-selected angular distributions: a quantum mechanical form and an asymptotic approximation

The exact expression for the angular distribution resulting from photodissociation of selected magnetic states reduces rigorously to the controversial form derived phenomenologically in J. Chem. Phys. 85 (1986) 150 and Chem. Phys. Letters 156 (1989) 1 in a well-defined limit. The approximation involved, however, imposes a severe limit on the range of applicability of the reduced form.