Photodissociation dynamics of the N[sub 3] radical
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States) Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
The dissociation dynamics of the [ital [tilde B]] [sup 2][Sigma][sub [ital u]][sup +] state of N[sub 3] were investigated using fast radical beam photodissociation coupled with a new coincidence wedge-and-strip-anode particle detector. With this detector, detailed photofragment kinetic energy and angular distributions can be measured as a function of excitation energy. Calibration of the detector by studies of the predissociation of the O[sub 2] [ital B] [sup 3][Sigma][sub [ital u]][sup [minus]] state is discussed. Methods of extracting the center-of-mass kinetic energy and angular distributions are presented. The photodissociation results for N[sub 3] show that from the vibrationless level of the [ital [tilde B]] [sup 2][Sigma][sub [ital u]][sup +] state in N[sub 3], both spin-allowed [N[sub 3][r arrow]N([sup 2][ital D])+N[sub 2]([sup 1][Sigma][sub [ital g]][sup +])] and spin-forbidden [N[sub 3][r arrow]N([sup 4][ital S])+N[sub 2]([sup 1][Sigma][sub [ital g]][sup +])] dissociation processes occur. Bend excitation in the [ital [tilde B]] [sup 2][Sigma][sub [ital u]][sup +] state, however, enhances the spin-allowed dissociation process considerably. The kinetic energy distributions reveal partially resolved vibrational structure in the N[sub 2] fragment, and indicate substantial rotational excitation of the N[sub 2]. This implies that bent geometries play a major role in the dissociation of the N[sub 3] [ital [tilde B]] state. Possible mechanisms for the spin-forbidden and spin-allowed dissociation channels are discussed.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 6278011
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Chemical Physics; (United States), Vol. 99:4; ISSN 0021-9606
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NITROGEN
DISSOCIATION
RADICALS
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
CALIBRATION
CENTER-OF-MASS SYSTEM
COINCIDENCE METHODS
KINETIC ENERGY
MOLECULAR BEAMS
OXYGEN
PREDISSOCIATION
RESOLUTION
VIBRATIONAL STATES
BEAMS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
NONMETALS
664200* - Spectra of Atoms & Molecules & their Interactions with Photons- (1992-)