Coulomb explosion of N2 and CO2 using linearly and circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulses

Laser-induced molecular coulomb explosion of N-2 and CO2 is studied experimentally using linearly and circularly polarized laser Light in the 10(15) W/cm(2) intensity range at lambda = 800 nm. The fragmentation kinetic energy releases are found to be identical in both cases using two different experimental methods. These results show that the molecular relaxation is independent of the respective directions of the laser electric field and of the internuclear axis. These results are confirmed by varying the linear laser polarization direction relative to the explosion direction of N-2? and CO2. Moreover, since in the linear case the molecular reorientation occurs along the laser electric field direction, these results show that inertial effects are not responsible for the possible elongation of the internuclear distances. [S1050-2947(99)06103-X].