Investigating excited electronic states of I{sub 2}{sup +} and I{sub 2}{sup 2+} produced by strong-field ionization using vibrational wave packets

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.75.063410· OSTI ID:20991172

Fang, L; Gibson, G N ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269 (United States)

In pump-probe experiments with a femtosecond near-uv laser, a wave packet is launched onto an excited electronic state of I{sub 2}{sup +} through strong field ionization, and starts vibrating in the corresponding potential well. The vibrational wave packet is further ionized by a probe pulse to an excited electronic state of I{sub 2}{sup 2+} that dissociates into I{sup 2+}+I{sup 0+}. Projecting the vibrational wave packet onto the dissociation channel reveals characteristics of both potential curves via the periodic variations in kinetic energy distribution of the dissociating fragments. The experimental results are consistent with theoretical simulations that are sensitive to the shape of the potential curves. We find that the intermediate state in I{sub 2}{sup +} is A{sup 2}{pi}{sub u,3}/{sub 2} and ionization to this state has an anomalous angular dependence. Moreover, we extract the I{sup 2+}+I{sup 0+} potential energy curve and find evidence for a truly bound potential well, in contrast to the metastable ground state potential energy curves.

• OSTI ID: 20991172
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 75, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.75.063410; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CATIONS
DISSOCIATION
DISTRIBUTION
GROUND STATES
INTERMEDIATE STATE
IODINE IONS
IONIZATION
KINETIC ENERGY
LASER RADIATION
METASTABLE STATES
MOLECULAR IONS
PERIODICITY
PHOTOLYSIS
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
POTENTIAL ENERGY
POTENTIALS
PULSES
SIMULATION
SURFACES
WAVE PACKETS