Artist's view of the s&p model treatment of molecular anion photodetachment. The electron waves are responsible for the angular anisotropy of the photoelectron images, which are depicted as islands floating among the water waves. The first of the three photoelectron images (islands) corresponds to 400 nm photodetachment of S₂^-, while the second and third are obtained in 267 and 800 nm detachment from CS₂^-, respectively. The molecular orbitals (shown in different lab-frame orientations) on the left are the a₁ HOMO, b₂ (HOMO-1) and a₂ (HOMO-2) of the CS₂^- anion. The s and p orbitals on the right represent the s&p wave expansion of the free (photodetached) electron formed via the a₁^-1, b₂^-1, and a₂^-1 photodetachment channels (laser polarization is assumed vertical). The corresponding photodetachment bands can be seen in the middle photoelectron image floating in the water below.