TRIPLE PHOTOIONIZATION OF LITHIUM: A FUNDAMENTAL PROCESS

        R. Wehlitz,$^*$ M.-T. Huang,$^*$ B. D. DePaola,$^{\#}$ 
   J. C. Levin,$^{\dag}$ I. A. Sellin,$^{\dag}$ T. Nagata,$^{\ddag}$ 
                J. W. Cooper,$^{\P}$ and Y. Azuma$^*$

$^*$ Photon Factory, IMSS, KEK, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
$^{\#}$Dept. of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhatten, KS 66506, USA
$^{\dag}$Dept. of Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
$^{\ddag}$Meisei University, Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo 191, Japan
$^{\P}$IPST, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20472, USA

We present the triple photoionization  cross-section of Li from threshold up 
to 424eV. Of particular interest is the threshold region where the motion of 
three escaping electrons is highly correlated.  The cross-sections  observed
are compatible with the existence of two threshold laws which are both power 
laws with different exponents and are valid in different energies ranges.