Light-induced potentials ignite dissociation of N{sub 2}{sup 2+}

Journal Article · Sat Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.73.0· OSTI ID:20787135

Coffee, Ryan N; Li, Fang; Gibson, George N ^[1]

---

1. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3046 (United States)

Direct ionization to dissociative potential curves is the dominant explanation for intense-field dissociative ionization of N{sub 2}. In this article we contradict this notion by showing that the dissociation of N{sub 2}{sup 2+} adiabatically follows the avoided crossing formed by the vertical bar X {sup 3}{pi}{sub u},n> and vertical bar D {sup 3}{pi}{sub g},n-1> dressed curves. Dissociation along this light-induced molecular potential implies that one photon is absorbed and adds to the kinetic release of the fragments. We compare the fragmentation energies for three different laser wavelengths and find that nitrogen shows photon absorption whereas iodine does not. From this we conclude that one must account for the absorbed photon when interpreting the time-of-flight spectra for molecules with appreciable nuclear motion during the laser pulse. In nitrogen, doing so allows us to identify enhanced ionization of the dication at 2.2 A independent of laser wavelength.

• OSTI ID: 20787135
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 73; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISSOCIATION
IODINE
IONIZATION
LASER RADIATION
MOLECULES
NITROGEN
PHOTONS
POTENTIALS
PULSES
RINGS
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD
VISIBLE RADIATION
WAVELENGTHS