Dolores Gauyacq

Orbital angular momentum in triatomic molecules: V. Vibronic corrections and anharmonic effects in linear molecules

The effects of electronic angular momentum in triatomic linear molecules are considered. An effective vibronic hamiltonian is derived and second order energy level expressions are obtained for the bending levels in an electronic Π state. The formulae allow for the anharmonicity of the bending potentials and for the variation of the expectation value with bond angle; effects of electron spins are also included. The vibronic levels predicted by the analytic expressions are compared with those calculated using a full matrix treatment of the orbital angular momentum; it is shown that they are far more accurate than the levels predicted by the formulae currently available in the literature. The relationship between the anharmonic corrections and the deviation of from unity is discussed in terms of an electrostatic interaction between linear molecule states of different symmetry.

Determination of the absolute photoionization cross sections of CH3 and I produced from a pyrolysis source, by combined synchrotron and vacuum ultraviolet laser studies.

A pyrolysis source coupled to a supersonic expansion has been used to produce the CH3 radical from two precursors, iodomethane CH3I and nitromethane CH3NO2. The relative ionization yield of CH3 has been recorded at the SOLEIL Synchrotron Radiation source in the range 9.0-11.6 eV, and its ionization threshold has been modeled by taking into account the vibrational and rotational temperature of the radical in the molecular beam. The relative photoionization yield has been normalized to an absolute cross section scale at a fixed wavelength (118.2 nm, sigma(i)(CH3) = 6.7(-1.8)(+2.4) Mb, 95% confidence interval) in an independent laboratory experiment using the same pyrolysis source, a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser, and a carefully calibrated detection chain. The resulting absolute cross section curve is in good agreement with the recently published measurements by Taatjes et al., although with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. The absolute photoionization cross section of CH3I at 118.2 nm has also been measured to be sigma(i)(CH3I) = (48.2 +/- 7.9) Mb, in good agreement with previous electron impact measurements. Finally, the photoionization yield of the iodine atom in its ground state 2P(3/2) has been recorded using the synchrotron source and calibrated for the first time on an absolute cross section scale from our fixed 118.2 nm laser measurement, sigma(i)(I2P(3/2)) = 74(-23)(+33) Mb (95% confidence interval). The ionization curve of atomic iodine is in good agreement, although with slight variations, with the earlier relative ionization yield measured by Berkowitz et al. and is also compared to an earlier calculation of the iodine cross section by Robicheaux and Greene. It is demonstrated that, in the range of pyrolysis temperature used in this work, all the ionization cross sections are temperature-independent. Systematic care has been taken to include all uncertainty sources contributing to the final confidence intervals for the reported results.

Photolysis of methane revisited at 121.6 nm and at 118.2 nm: quantum yields of the primary products, measured by mass spectrometry.

Methane photolysis has been performed at the two Vacuum UltraViolet (VUV) wavelengths, 121.6 nm and 118.2 nm, via a spectrally pure laser pump-probe technique. The first photon is used to dissociate methane (either at 121.6 nm or at 118.2 nm) and the second one is used to ionise the CH(2) and CH(3) fragments. The radical products, CH(3)(X), CH(2)(X), CH(2)(a) and C((1)D), have been selectively probed by mass spectrometry. In order to quantify the fragment quantum yields from the mass spectra, the photoionisation cross sections have been carefully evaluated for the CH(2) and CH(3) radicals, in two steps: first, theoretical ab initio approaches have been used in order to determine the pure electronic photoionisation cross sections of CH(2)(X) and CH(2)(a), and have been rescaled with respect to the measured absolute photoionisation cross section of the CH(3)(X) radical. In a second step, in order to take into account the substantial vibrational energy deposited in the CH(3)(X) and CH(2)(a) radicals, the variation of their cross sections near threshold has been simulated by introducing the pertinent Franck-Condon overlaps between neutral and cation species. By adding the interpolated values of CH quantum yields measured by Rebbert and Ausloos [J. Photochem., 1972, 1, 171-176], a complete set of fragment quantum yields has been derived for the methane photodissociation at 121.6 nm, with carefully evaluated 1σ uncertainties: Φ[CH(3)(X)] = 0.42 ± 0.05, Φ[CH(2)(a)] = 0.48 ± 0.05, Φ[CH(2)(X)] = 0.03 ± 0.08, Φ[CH(X)] = 0.07 ± 0.01. These new data have been measured independently of the H atom fragment quantum yield, subject to many controversies in the literature. From our results, we evaluate Φ(H) = 0.55 ± 0.17 at 121.6 nm. The quantum yields for the photolysis at 118.2 nm differ notably from those measured at 121.6 nm, with a substantial production of the CH(2)(X) fragment: Φ[CH(3)(X)] = 0.26 ± 0.04, Φ[CH(2)(a)] = 0.17 ± 0.05, Φ[CH(2)(X)] = 0.48 ± 0.06, Φ[CH(X)] = 0.09 ± 0.01, Φ(H) = 1.31 ± 0.13. These new data should bring reliable and essential inputs for the photochemical models of the Titan atmosphere.

Absolute photoionization cross section of the ethyl radical in the range 8-11.5 eV: synchrotron and vacuum ultraviolet laser measurements.

The absolute photoionization cross section of C(2)H(5) has been measured at 10.54 eV using vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) laser photoionization. The C(2)H(5) radical was produced in situ using the rapid C(2)H(6) + F → C(2)H(5) + HF reaction. Its absolute photoionization cross section has been determined in two different ways: first using the C(2)H(5) + NO(2) → C(2)H(5)O + NO reaction in a fast flow reactor, and the known absolute photoionization cross section of NO. In a second experiment, it has been measured relative to the known absolute photoionization cross section of CH(3) as a reference by using the CH(4) + F → CH(3) + HF and C(2)H(6) + F → C(2)H(5) + HF reactions successively. Both methods gave similar results, the second one being more precise and yielding the value: σ(C(2)H(5))(ion) = (5.6 ± 1.4) Mb at 10.54 eV. This value is used to calibrate on an absolute scale the photoionization curve of C(2)H(5) produced in a pyrolytic source from the C(2)H(5)NO(2) precursor, and ionized by the VUV beam of the DESIRS beamline at SOLEIL synchrotron facility. In this latter experiment, a recently developed ion imaging technique is used to discriminate the direct photoionization process from dissociative ionization contributions to the C(2)H(5)(+) signal. The imaging technique applied on the photoelectron signal also allows a slow photoelectron spectrum with a 40 meV resolution to be extracted, indicating that photoionization around the adiabatic ionization threshold involves a complex vibrational overlap between the neutral and cationic ground states, as was previously observed in the literature. Comparison with earlier photoionization studies, in particular with the photoionization yield recorded by Ruscic et al. is also discussed.

The predissociation of highly excited states in acetylene by time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

We study the dynamics of highly excited states in acetylene initiated by an ultrashort vacuum ultraviolet laser pulse. Electronic states lying in the 4s-3d Rydberg region are excited with one femtosecond pulse, and the dynamic development of the states is monitored by a second short pulse which ionizes the system. We show that even for femtosecond pulses where the bandwidth of the exciting pulse covers several electronic states, it is possible to extract short decay lifetimes through time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy by using a frequency-modulated (chirped) excitation pulse. We report decay lifetimes for the F 402 and E 4-502 states in acetylene, and for the E 402 and E 502 states in d-acetylene. The time evolution measured in the electron spectra is compared to decay spectra measured using ion yield and the differences in these results are discussed.

CH radical production from 248nm photolysis or discharge-jet dissociation of CHBr3 probed by cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy

The A-X bands of the CH radical, produced in a 248 nm two-photon photolysis or in a supersonic jet discharge of CHBr(3), have been observed via cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy. Bromoform is a well-known photolytic source of CH radicals, though no quantitative measurement of the CH production efficiency has yet been reported. The aim of the present work is to quantify the CH production from both photolysis and discharge of CHBr(3). In the case of photolysis, the range of pressure and laser fluences was carefully chosen to avoid postphotolysis reactions with the highly reactive CH radical. The CH production efficiency at 248 nm has been measured to be Phi=N(CH)N(CHBr(3))=(5.0+/-2.5)10(-4) for a photolysis laser fluence of 44 mJ cm(-2) per pulse corresponding to a two-photon process only. In addition, the internal energy distribution of CH(X (2)Pi) has been obtained, and thermalized population distributions have been simulated, leading to an average vibrational temperature T(vib)=1800+/-50 K and a rotational temperature T(rot)=300+/-20 K. An alternative technique for producing the CH radical has been tested using discharge-induced dissociation of CHBr(3) in a supersonic expansion. The CH product was analyzed using the same cavity ring-down spectroscopy setup. The production of CH by discharge appears to be as efficient as the photolysis technique and leads to rotationally relaxed radicals.

Rydberg states of cyanoacetylene investigated by (3 + 1) REMPI spectroscopy in the 77,000–90,000 cm−1 energy range

(3 + 1) resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy coupled to photoelectron spectroscopy (REMPI-PES) has been carried out to study the Rydberg states of HC3N in the 77,000–90,000 cm−1 region. Ab initio calculations (energies and optimized equilibrium geometries) have been performed for the first time for the low-lying 2Π, Ã2Σ+ and 2Π states of the cation HC3N+ in order to help the analysis. Thanks to the combination of the three-photon REMPI spectra, one-photon spectrum and photoelectron spectra, unambiguous assignments of the Rydberg series and their vibrationally excited members are proposed. The electronic Rydberg structure of cyanoacetylene is very similar to that of C2H2 and HCN (almost identical quantum defects), fully supporting the present analysis. New three-photon allowed Rydberg series are identified belonging to ns and nd series. The three-photon vibrational band assignments, confirmed by the photoelectrons spectra, reveal excitation of only one or two quanta of the ν2 (C ≡ N) mode. Apparent discrepancies between the three-photon REMPI spectrum and the one-photon absorption spectrum are removed via a minor re-assignment of the absorption spectrum previously analysed by Connors et al. J. Chem. Phys. 60(12), 5011 (1974). Finally the observed analogy with C2H2 and HCN can be rationalized by a partial relocalization of the 2π electrons upon excitation to Rydberg states converging to the 2Π state of HC3N+, as predicted by the present ab initio calculations on the cation core.

Production of electronically excited CH via the vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation of ethylene and the possible role of the ethylidene isomer

The visible fluorescence of CH fragments (A 2Δ→X 2Π and B 2Σ−→X 2Π transitions) formed in the vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation of ethylene in the 11.7–21.4 eV energy region, was recorded. Two formation thresholds for each excited fragment, CH* (A) or CH* (B), were identified and associated with two dissociation channels namely CH*+CH3 and CH*+CH+H2. Unlike previous studies of the dissociation dynamics on the ground-state potential energy surface, neither of these channels exhibit an energy barrier within the experimental uncertainty, even in the latter case of molecular H2 elimination. It is proposed that both channels pass via an ethylidene intermediate (H3CCH:), an isomer never previously experimentally detected and whose existence has been debated in theoretical publications. The observed behavior, at the excitation energies used in the present work, also suggests that fast isomerization and internal conversion to excited states of ethylene precede fragmentation. Above 18.5 eV, that is around the i...

Excited states of C2H4 studied by (3 + 1) and (3 + 2) REMPI spectroscopy: disentangling the lowest Rydberg series from the strong π–π* V ← N transition

(3 + 1) and (3 + 2) Resonantly EnhancedMultiphoton (REMPI) spectroscopy has been carried out to study the Rydberg states of C2H4 in the region 55000–83000 cm−1. Differences and similarities were observed between these three-photon spectra and the one-photon absorption spectrum. First, the disappearance of the strong π−π* V ← N valence transition from the REMPI spectra allowed disentanglement of the vibrational structure of the 3s Rydberg transition from the V ← N quasi-continuum, and a search for additional weak transitions. Earlier vibrational assignments from the absorption spectrum have been confirmed in the REMPI analysis of the 3s ← N and ns, nd ← N transition systems, although with very different band intensities. This analysis has provided additional weak band assignments involving the ν3 mode in the observed Rydberg transitions. New electronic components (3dπ y , 4dπ y , 5dπ y ) of the nd complex, which are three-photon allowed but one-photon forbidden, have been tentatively assigned. The photoelectron (PES) spectra of the 3s and 3dσ lowest vibrational levels have revealed a deviation from a pure Rydberg character, in apparent contradiction with previous (2 + 1) REMPI-PES data involving gerade vibronic levels of the 3s Rydberg state, which led to a prominent Rydberg character for this state. Rydberg–valence and Rydberg–Rydberg vibronic interactions mediated via non-symmetric modes could explain the different behaviour between gerade and ungerade vibronic levels of the ethylene Rydberg states. †Permanent address: Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, PO BOX 6091, Damascus, Syria.

Theoretical description of electronically excited vinylidene up to 10 eV: first high level ab initio study of singlet valence and Rydberg states.

The first quantitative description of the Rydberg and valence singlet electronic states of vinylidene lying in the 0-10 eV region is performed by using large scale ab initio calculations. A deep analysis of Rydberg-valence interactions has been achieved thanks to the comprehensive information contained in the accurate Multi-Reference Configuration Interaction wavefunctions and an original population analysis highlighting the respective role played by orbital and state mixing in such interactions. The present theoretical approach is thus adequate for dealing with larger than diatomic Rydberg systems. The nine lowest singlet valence states have been optimized. Among them, some are involved in strong Rydberg-valence interactions in the region of the Rydberg state equilibrium geometry. The Rydberg states of vinylidene present a great similarity with the acetylene isomer, concerning their quantum defects and Rydberg molecular orbital character. As in acetylene, strong s-d mixing is revealed in the n = 3 s-d supercomplex. Nevertheless, unlike in acetylene, the close-energy of the two vinylidene ionic cores (2)A1 and (2)B1 results into two overlapped Rydberg series. These Rydberg series exhibit local perturbations when an accidental degeneracy occurs between them and results in avoided crossings. In addition, some Δl = 1 (s-p and p-d) mixings arise for some Rydberg states and are rationalized in term of electrostatic interaction from the electric dipole moment of the ionic core. The strongest dipole moment of the (2)B1 cationic state also stabilizes the lowest members of the n = 3 Rydberg series converging to this excited state, as compared to the adjacent series converging toward the (2)A1 ionic ground state. The overall energies of vinylidene Rydberg states lie above their acetylene counterpart. Finally, predictions for optical transitions in singlet vinylidene are suggested for further experimental spectroscopic characterization of vinylidene.