PHOTOFRAGMENT VECTOR CORRELATIONS BY ION IMAGING - O2[A(1)DELTA(G)(UPSILON,J)] FROM 248-NM DISSOCIATION OF OZONE

Images bf the two-dimensional projection of the nascent three-dimensional velocity distribution of O2 [a 1DELTA(g) (v, J)] from the Hartley band (248 nm) dissociation of ozone have been obtained using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization coupled with time-of-flight ion imaging. These projections show strong evidence of v-J correlation. The two-dimensional (2D) images were simulated using a Monte Carlo forward convolution program that accounts for the dependence of the detection efficiency on angular momentum polarization, and uses the final O2 rotational level as the only adjustable parameter. The experimental results are accurately reproduced assuming an impulsive dissociation from the ground-state geometry (beta = 1.18). The results suggest generally that the ion-imaging technique may be readily exploited in studies seeking to quantify product angular momentum polarization, and may be useful for both photodissociation and collision experiments.