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Published: 1991

Total Pages: 25

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Highly vibrationally excited molecules often control the course of chemical reactions in the atmosphere, combustion, plasmas, and many other environments. The research described in this Progress Report uses laser excitation and interrogation techniques to study and control the dynamics of highly vibrationally excited molecules. In particular, they show that it is possible to unravel the details and influence the course of photodissociation and bimolecular reaction. The experiments use laser excitation of overtone vibrations to prepare highly vibrationally excited molecules, frequently with single quantum state resolution, and laser spectroscopy to monitor the subsequent behavior of the excited molecule. We have studied the vibrationally mediated photodissociation and the bond- and state-selected bimolecular reaction of highly vibrationally excited molecules. In the first process, one photon creates a highly excited molecule, a second photon from another laser dissociates it, and light from a third laser detects the population of individual product quantum states. This approach allows us to explore otherwise inaccessible regions of the ground and excited state potential energy surface and, by exciting to the proper regions of the surface, to control the breaking of a selected chemical bond. In the second process, the highly vibrationally excited molecule reacts with an atom formed either in a microwave discharge or by photolysis and another laser interrogates the products. We have used this approach to demonstrate mode- and bond-selected bimolecular reactions in which the initial excitation controls the subsequent chemistry. 30 refs., 8 figs.

Download or read book Spectroscopy, Reaction, and Photodissociation in Highly Vibrationally Excited Molecules written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highly vibrationally excited molecules often control the course of chemical reactions in the atmosphere, combustion, plasmas, and many other environments. The research described in this Progress Report uses laser excitation and interrogation techniques to study and control the dynamics of highly vibrationally excited molecules. In particular, they show that it is possible to unravel the details and influence the course of photodissociation and bimolecular reaction. The experiments use laser excitation of overtone vibrations to prepare highly vibrationally excited molecules, frequently with single quantum state resolution, and laser spectroscopy to monitor the subsequent behavior of the excited molecule. We have studied the vibrationally mediated photodissociation and the bond- and state-selected bimolecular reaction of highly vibrationally excited molecules. In the first process, one photon creates a highly excited molecule, a second photon from another laser dissociates it, and light from a third laser detects the population of individual product quantum states. This approach allows us to explore otherwise inaccessible regions of the ground and excited state potential energy surface and, by exciting to the proper regions of the surface, to control the breaking of a selected chemical bond. In the second process, the highly vibrationally excited molecule reacts with an atom formed either in a microwave discharge or by photolysis and another laser interrogates the products. We have used this approach to demonstrate mode- and bond-selected bimolecular reactions in which the initial excitation controls the subsequent chemistry. 30 refs., 8 figs.