ALBERT

Notes: Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization and cavity ring down spectroscopies have been used to provide spatially resolved measurements of relative H atom and CH3 radical number densities, and NH column densities, in a hot filament (HF) reactor designed for diamond chemical vapor deposition and here operating with a 1% CH4/n/H2 gas mixture—where n represents defined additions of N2 or NH3. Three-dimensional modeling of the H/C/N chemistry prevailing in such HF activated gas mixtures allows the relative number density measurements to be placed on an absolute scale. Experiment and theory both indicate that N2 is largely unreactive under the prevailing experimental conditions, but NH3 additions are shown to have a major effect on the gas phase chemistry and composition. Specifically, NH3 additions introduce an additional series of "H-shift" reactions of the form NHx+H(r harp over l)NHx−1+H2 which result in the formation of N atoms with calculated steady state number densities 〉1013 cm−3 in the case of 1% NH3 additions in the hotter regions of the reactor. These react, irreversibly, with C1 hydrocarbon species forming HCN products, thereby reducing the concentration of free hydrocarbon species (notably CH3) available to participate in diamond growth. The deduced reduction in CH3 number density due to competing gas phase chemistry is shown to be compounded by NH3 induced modifications to the hot filament surface, which reduce its efficiency as a catalyst for H2 dissociation, thus lowering the steady state gas phase H atom concentrations and the extent and efficiency of all subsequent gas phase transformations. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The photofragment excitation spectra for O(1D) production from the 317–327 nm photolysis of ozone under supersonic free-jet and low-temperature flow conditions show structure superimposed on an underlying continuum. Doppler profiles of the nascent O(1D) photofragments confirm that the O(1D) formed by photolysis at the wavelengths of the peaks in the photofragment excitation spectrum arises from the hitherto unobserved spin-forbidden predissociation to O(1D)+O2(X 3Σg−) products. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The reaction O(3P)+CS(X 1Σ+)→CO(X 1Σ+)+S(3P) has been studied using translationally aligned oxygen atoms formed from the 355 nm polarized photodissociation of NO2. The nascent CO product was detected by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) with sub-Doppler resolution in order to extract the pair correlations between the reagent and product relative velocities k and k' and the product rotational angular momentum J'. Previous theories interpreting the Doppler profiles of photodissociation products in terms of vector correlations have been extended to the case of bimolecular reactions. The system studied was seen to yield a close to isotropic distribution of product velocities k' about the k direction, and a rotational alignment of J' with k close to zero. The CO molecule departs with its rotational angular momentum vector J' aligned preferentially perpendicular to the product relative velocity k', hence exhibiting a negative k', J' correlation. Further insight has been gained on these results by quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations on a London–Eyring–Polanyi–Sato (LEPS) potential energy surface (PES).

Notes: Rydberg excited states of the CS2 molecule in the energy range 56 000–81 000 cm−1 have been further investigated via the two and three photon resonance enhancements they provide in the mass resolved multiphoton ionization (MPI) spectrum of a jet-cooled sample of the parent molecule. Spectral interpretation has been aided by parallel measurements of the kinetic energies of the photoelectrons that accompany the various MPI resonances. Thus we have been able to extend, and clarify, previous analyses of the tangled spin–orbit split vibronic structure associated with the 3Πu and 1Πu states derived from the configuration [2Πg]4pσu and the 3Δu, 1Δu, and 1Σ+u states resulting from the configuration [2Πg]4pπu, and to deduce an approximate wave number for the origin of the hitherto unidentified 3Σ+u state derived from this same configuration. Moving to higher energies we are able to locate, unambiguously, the origins of the next (n=5) members of four of these [2Πg]np Rydberg series, and to identify extensive series based on the presumed Rydberg configurations [2Πg]nsσg and [2Πg]nfλu with, in both cases, n≤10. We also identify MPI resonances attributable to CS(a 3Π) fragments, to ground state C atoms, and to S atoms in both their ground (3P) and excited (1S) electronic states. Analysis of the former resonances indicates that the CS(a 3Π) fragments resulting from two photon dissociation of CS2 at excitation wavelengths around 300 nm are formed with substantial rovibrational excitation. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: We describe a method we call core extraction for measuring the speed distributions of products from photoinitiated bimolecular reactions for the purpose of determining state-to-state differential cross sections. Core extraction is demonstrated by determination of the state-to-state differential cross section for the reaction Cl+CH4(υ3=1)→HCl(υ=1, J=1)+CH3. The method of core extraction measures three-dimensional projections of the velocity distribution using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer equipped with a mask to reject off-axis scattered products. This three-dimensional projection is then converted to a state-to-state differential cross section via simple transformations. Competition between instrumental resolution and signal in core extraction is discussed, and the behavior of our system is checked with simple velocity distributions that result from photodissociation of Cl2. Core extraction is compared with other methods for the measurement of state-resolved differential cross sections. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The mechanism for the reaction of atomic chlorine with vibrationally excited methane is investigated by measurement of correlated state and scattering distributions using the method of core extraction (see preceding paper). Laser photolysis of molecular chlorine creates monoenergetic chlorine atoms ((approximately-greater-than)98% Cl 2P3/2) that react with vibrationally excited methane molecules prepared by linearly polarized infrared laser excitation. The resulting HCl product population distributions are determined by (2+1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), and the differential cross section for each product rovibrational state is measured by core extraction. Approximately 30% of the product is formed in HCl(υ=1,J) with a cold rotational distribution; the remaining population is formed in HCl(υ=0,J) and is more rotationally excited. We observe a rich variation of the scattered flux that is dependent on the internal-energy state of the product. The HCl(υ=1) product is sharply forward scattered for low J and becomes nearly equally forward–backward scattered for high J; the HCl(υ=0,J) product is back and side scattered. The reactions of Cl with C–H stretch-excited methane (CH4) and C–H stretch-excited CHD3 are found to have similar angular and internal-state distributions. Observation of the spatial anisotropy of the HCl(υ=0, J=3) product shows that significant vibrational excitation of the methyl fragment does not occur.The measured spatial anisotropy is most consistent with a model in which backscattered HCl(υ=0, J=3) is formed in coincidence with slight methyl vibrational excitation and the forward-scattered HCl(υ=0, J=3) is formed in coincidence with no methyl excitation. The approach of the attacking chlorine atom with respect to the C–H stretch direction can be varied by rotating the plane of polarization of the infrared excitation. A marked steric effect is observed in which Cl atoms approaching perpendicular to the C–H stretch preferentially yield forward-scattered HCl(υ=1) product. On the other hand, the reaction is weakly dependent on the rotational quantum state of CH4(υ3=1,J), and on the rotational polarization. The data are consistent with a model that has a widely open "cone of acceptance'' in which the impact parameter controls the internal-state and scattering distributions of the HCl product. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Cavity ring-down spectra of the FCO radical, recorded over the wave number range 29 500–31 600 cm−1 reveal rotational structure of the electronically excited state for the first time. The spectra demonstrate the need for a complete re-assignment of the vibronic features: The rotationally resolved bands are successfully simulated as arising from c-type transitions from the ground X˜ 2A′ state to the linear 2A″ component of the A˜ 2Π state. The bands are attributed to two overlapping vibrational progressions: one progression involves excitation of the F–C–O bending mode (v3′), the other consists of a combination of v3′ and one quantum of the C–F stretch (v2′). Sharp rotational structure is only observed for sub-bands with K′=0; bands with K′〉0 are diffuse, indicating rapid, rotation induced predissociation. Band origins, rotational constants for the excited state, and spectral linewidths have been derived from the K′=0–K″=1 sub-bands. All rotational lines are somewhat broadened and there is evidence of linewidths that increase with N′, and hence an additional rotation-induced predissociation mechanism. Vibrational frequencies and rotational constants are in excellent agreement with the predictions of ab initio calculations by Krossner et al., J. Chem. Phys. 101, 3973 (1994); 101, 3981 (1994). The A˜ 2Π(A″)–X˜ 2A′ absorption shows characteristics of a transition between two Renner–Teller components and this interpretation is confirmed by careful examination of the electronic structure of the FCO ground state. Implications for assignments of absorption features at higher energy than the spectral region of the current study are discussed, and comparisons are drawn with the much studied electronic spectroscopy of both the HCO radical and the isoelectronic NO2. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Rydberg excited states of the OCS molecule in the energy range 70500–86000 cm−1 have been investigated via the two and three photon resonance enhancements they provide in the mass resolved multiphoton ionization (MPI) spectrum of a jet-cooled sample of the parent molecule. Spectral interpretation has been assisted by companion measurements of the kinetic energies of the photoelectrons that accompany the various MPI resonances. The present study supports the earlier conclusions of Weinkauf and Boesl [J. Chem. Phys. 98, 4459 (1993)] regarding five Rydberg origins in the 70500–73000 cm−1 energy range, attributable to, respectively, states of 3Π, 1Π, 3Δ, 1Δ and 1Σ+ symmetry arising from the 4pλ←3π orbital promotion. We also identify a further 21 Rydberg origins at higher energies. These partition into clumps with quantum defects ca. 3.5 and 4.5, which we associate with the orbital promotions npλ←3π (n=5,6), and others with near integer quantum defect which are interpretable in terms of excitation to s,d and (possibly) f Rydberg orbitals. We also identify MPI resonances attributable to CO(X 1Σ+) fragments and to S atoms in both their ground (3P) and excited (1D) electronic states. Analysis of the former resonances confirms that the CO(X) fragments resulting from one photon dissociation of OCS at excitation wavelengths ca. 230 nm are formed with a highly inverted, bimodal rotational state population distribution, whilst the latter are consistent with previous reports of the wavelength dependence for forming ground and excited state S atoms in the near uv photolysis of OCS. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.