Energy partitioning in elementary gas phase reactions

During the last 2(1/2) years we: Measured the LIF excitation spectrum of H atoms dissociated by 193 nm light from cyclopentadiene and indene as well as the rate of dissociation of indene. A general relation is that the translational temperature of the H atoms and the vibrational temperature of the molecules before dissociation are equal. We measured the H atom channel in the photodissociation of ethylene at 193 nm. The LIF excitation spectrum was measured as well as the quantum yield. Isotope effects were observed and explained by RRKM theory in CH2CD2 and trans-CHDCHD. We studied the photodissociation of hydrogen molecules with two photon excited states of the rare gas atoms, 5p(01/2) of Kr and 6p(01/2) of Xe. A new much stronger source of Lyman alpha light at 121.6 nm enabled the study of processes in which a hydride is photodissociated at 121.6 nm and within the same pulse a second photon excites H atom fluorescence. For the first time the dynamics of photodissociation of methane, water, acetylene and HCl were measured at 121.6 nm. Large isotope effects were seen. In CH3D, CH2D and CD3H the H atoms were twice as likely to dissociate as the D atoms.