Strong propensity rules in the photodissociation of a single rotational quantum state of vibrationally excited H2O

It is pointed out that the photodissociation of H2O in the first absorption band is an ideal process for studies which can lead to an understanding of the basic principles of simple fragmentation phenomena. With modern quantum methods, this fragmentation can be studied on an ab initio basis, and theoretical predictions can be compared with experimental results. The present investigation is concerned with the preparation of a single rotational state in an excited vibrational state, taking into account a procedure based on the use of a tunable IR laser. The conducted experiment demonstrates that photodissociation of single, selectable states is possible. New insight is obtained with respect to fine details of simple fragmentation processes.