Excitation and ionisation process of a PAH after absorption of an X-ray. The X-ray ejects an electron from the innermost shell of a carbon atom. Then, an electron from a higher shell fills the vacant inner shell so that the freed energy ejects another electron. A fraction of the energy is carried away by the electron, the remaining fraction is transferred to vibrational excitation of the PAH. In the end, the PAH is doubly ionised and vibrationally excited by the X-ray absorption.