NO2 photodissociation dynamics

The studies carried out under the present contract have all involved investigations of the photophysics and photochemistry of two nitrogen oxide molecules, NO and NO2. As well as being intrinsically interesting, these molecules are important from the point of view of atmospheric chemistry, and the NO2 molecule is a leading candidate as the emitting molecule that has been observed in the space shuttle glow. Major findings of these studies include the following observations: Multiphoton dissociation of NO2 by green light produces highly excited products, specifically, highly vibrationally excited O2 and NO, and O(S); and two-photon absorption of 268 to 280 nm radiation by NO results in production of the first excited state of the N-atom, N(2D), an atmospherically important species that is difficult to produce by any other photodissociative technique.