  We propose a novel mechanism of electron localization and molecular symmetry
breaking in dissociative photoionization of the H$_2$ molecule. The Coulomb
field of the ejected electron can induce transition of the remaining H$_2^+$
ion from the gerade $^2\Sigma_g^1(1s\sigma_g)$ to the ungerade
$^2\Sigma_u^1(2p\sigma_u)$ electronic state when the nuclei in a bound
vibrational state are near the outer turning point. The superposition of this
process with a direct transition to vibrational continuum should produce a
non-gerade ionic state which results in observed asymmetry in the $p$-H
ejection relative to the electron ejection direction at a small kinetic energy
release.
