THE NONADIABATIC PHOTODISSOCIATION OF BRNO AT 355-NM

Nozzle cooled BrNO molecules were dissociated with a polarized laser at 355 nm. The NO fragments were then state-selectively probed using a second tunable laser. Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and fragment time-of-flight techniques were combined to obtain scalar and vector properties of the NO fragment. For each of the NO states probed, the Br*/Br ratio was determined. From these data, a comprehensive picture of the dissociation process was obtained. The excitation at 355 nm has a transition dipole moment parallel to the Br-N bond (beta approximate to 2.0). The NO fragment was observed with high rotational excitation (J approximate to 50) and nonstatistical spin-orbit and Lambda-doublet state distributions.