STATE-SPECIFIC PHOTODISSOCIATION OF SO2 AND STATE-SELECTIVE DETECTION OF THE SO FRAGMENT

In a pulsed molecular beam experiment, cold SO2 molecules were generated in a seeded beam. Using the REMPI-TOF technique, detailed investigation of the predissociation process (SO2(CB2)-B-1) --> SO(X 3SIGMA-) + ((OP)-P-3) possible. First experimental results show that predissociation from specified rovibrational levels of the parent molecule SO2 and rovibrational detection of the SO fragment can be achieved. Rotational analysis of the vibrational band (142)-(000) of the C-X system indicates the onset of predissociation in this band at the rotational quantum number J = 6, while for J less-than-or-equal-to 5 no predissociation was observed.