Vibrationally resolved structure in O{sub 2}{sup +} dissociation induced by intense ultrashort laser pulses
- J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506 (United States)
Laser-induced dissociation of O{sub 2}{sup +} is studied in the strong-field limit using two independent methods, namely a crossed laser-ion-beam coincidence 3D momentum imaging method and a supersonic gas jet velocity map imaging technique (790 and 395 nm, 8-40 fs, {approx}10{sup 15} W/cm{sup 2}). The measured kinetic energy release spectra from dissociation of O{sub 2}{sup +} and dissociative ionization of O{sub 2} reveal vibrational structure which persists over a wide range of laser intensities. The vibrational structure is similar for O{sub 2}{sup +} produced incoherently in an ion source and coherently by laser pulses. By evaluation of the potential energy curves, we assign the spectral energy peaks to dissociation of the v=10-15 vibrational states of the metastable a {sup 4}{Pi}{sub u} state via the dissociation pathway |a {sup 4}{Pi}{sub u}>{yields}|f {sup 4}{Pi}{sub g}-1{omega}>--a mechanism equivalent to bond softening in H{sub 2}{sup +}.
- OSTI ID:
- 21546788
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 83, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.83.053405; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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