Photodissociation dynamics of the methyl radical 3[ital s] Rydberg state

Journal Article · Sun Jan 08 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of Chemical Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.469193· OSTI ID:6717537

North, S W; Blank, D A; Chu, P M; Lee, Y T ^[1]

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1. Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States) Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

The photodissociation dynamics of methyl radical have been investigated at 193.3 nm using photofragment translational spectroscopy. The formation of CH[sub 2] and H([sup 2][ital S]) was the only dissociation pathway observed. Although it is not possible to assign the spin state of the methylene unambiguously, we believe that methylene is produced predominately in the [ital [tilde a]] [sup 1][ital A][sub 1] excited state. The translational energy distribution of the products is peaked at [similar to]13 kcal/mole which is consistent with the magnitude of the exit barrier on the excited state potential energy surface. The breadth of the distribution suggests that the methyl radicals dissociate from a wide range of geometries. From the photofragment angular distribution an anisotropy parameter of [beta]=[minus]0.9[plus minus]0.1 was determined.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6717537
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Physics; (United States), Vol. 102:2; ISSN 0021-9606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
METHYL RADICALS
PHOTOLYSIS
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
EXCITED STATES
METHYLENE RADICALS
POTENTIAL ENERGY
PRECURSOR
RYDBERG STATES
SPIN
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
ALKYL RADICALS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY
ENERGY LEVELS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
RADIATIONS
RADICALS
400500* - Photochemistry