Eloy R. Wouters

Imaging the alignment angular distribution: State symmetries, coherence effects, and nonadiabatic interactions in photodissociation

We establish a rigorous theoretical connection between measurements of the angular distribution of atomic photofragment alignment and the underlying dynamics of molecular photodissociation. We derive laboratory and molecular-frame angular momentum state multipoles as a function of photofragment recoil angles. These state multipoles are expressed in terms of alignment anisotropy parameters, which provide information on state symmetries, coherence effects, and nonadiabatic interactions. The method is intended for analysis of experimental data obtained with two-photon spectroscopy and ion imaging techniques, although it is readily modified for treating Doppler or time-of-flight mass spectrometer peak profiles. We have applied this method to the photodissociation of Cl2 at 355 nm, where we observe strong alignment in the ground state chlorine atom photofragments. Our analysis demonstrates that there are important contributions to the alignment from both incoherent and coherent perpendicular excitation. We als...

Continuum state spectroscopy: A high resolution ion imaging study of IBr photolysis in the wavelength range 440–685 nm

The photodissociation of jet-cooled IBr molecules has been investigated at numerous excitation wavelengths in the range 440–685 nm using a state-of-art ion imaging spectrometer operating under optimal conditions for velocity mapping. Image analysis provides precise threshold energies for the ground, I(2P3/2)+Br(2P3/2), and first excited [I(2P3/2)+Br(2P1/2)] dissociation asymptotes, the electronic branching into these two active product channels, and the recoil anisotropy of each set of products, as a function of excitation wavelength. Such experimental data have allowed mapping of the partial cross-sections for parallel (i.e., ΔΩ=0) and perpendicular (i.e., ΔΩ=±1) absorptions and thus deconvolution of the separately measured (room temperature) parent absorption spectrum into contributions associated with excitation to the A 3Π(1), B 3Π(0+) and 1Π(1) excited states of IBr. Such analyses of the continuous absorption spectrum of IBr, taken together with previous spectroscopic data for the bound levels suppor...

Orbital alignment in N2O photodissociation. I. Determination of all even rank anisotropy parameters

We present a general method for determination of the photofragment K=4 state multipoles in an ion imaging experiment. These multipoles are important for determining the full density matrix for any photofragment with j(a)> or =2. They are expressed in terms of laboratory frame anisotropy parameters that have distinct physical origins and possess characteristic angular distributions. The explicit expression for the (2+1) resonant multiphoton ionization absorption signal for the case of arbitrarily polarized probe light is derived and a procedure for isolation of the rank-4 state multipoles from all others is shown. This treatment is applied to the case of O((1)D) produced in the 193 nm photodissociation of N2O. The results show nonzero values for all K=4 anisotropy parameters, indicating the complexity of the photodissociation dynamics in this system.

Ion imaging studies of Cl(2P3/2) fragments arising in the visible photolysis of BrCl: Measurement of orientation, alignment, and alignment-free anisotropy parameters

The photodissociation dynamics of jet-cooled BrCl molecules have been investigated at four different wavelengths in the range 425–485 nm by high-resolution velocity map ion imaging. Four images of the Cl(2P3/2) atomic fragments are recorded at each photolysis wavelength with the probe laser polarization, respectively, linearly aligned and vertical (i.e., perpendicular to the detection axis), right circularly polarized, horizontally linearly polarized (i.e., parallel to the detection axis) and left circularly polarized on successive laser shots, thereby ensuring automatic mutual self-normalization. Appropriate linear combinations of these images allow quantification of the angular momentum alignment of the Cl(2P3/2o) fragments [i.e., the correlation between their recoil velocity (v) and their electronic angular momentum (J)] in terms of the alignment anisotropy parameters s2, α2, η2, and γ2, and determination of the “alignment-free” recoil anisotropy parameter, β0, as a function of parent excitation wavele...

Quasiclassical and quantum mechanical modeling of the breakdown of the axial recoil approximation observed in the near threshold photolysis of IBr and Br2

The photodissociations of jet-cooled IBr and Br2 molecules have been investigated using high resolution ion imaging methods, at excitation energies just above the thresholds for forming, respectively, I(2P3/2o)+Br(2P3/2o) and Br(2P3/2o)+Br*(2P1/2o) products from parent molecules in their v″=0 levels. For such molecules, we observe in both cases, that fragments with larger recoil velocities have markedly reduced angular anisotropy, whereas those from photolysis of IBr molecules with v″=1 show an essentially constant, limiting anisotropy. Given the monochromaticity of the photolysis radiation, increased recoil velocity of fragments resulting from photolysis of v″=0 molecules can only be derived from increased parent internal (rotational) energy. The measurements thus provide a particularly clear and direct observation of the breakdown of the axial recoil approximation as applied to the photodissociation of a diatomic molecule, and have been modeled, quantitatively, using both quantum and semiclassical metho...

High resolution ion imaging study of BrCl photolysis in the wavelength range 330-570 nm

The photodissociation of jet-cooled BrCl molecules has been investigated at many different excitation wavelengths in the range 330–570 nm by velocity map imaging of the ground state Br and ground and spin–orbit excited Cl atom products. Image analysis confirms literature values for the energies of the ground, Br(2P3/2)+Cl(2P3/2), and first excited [Br(2P3/2)+Cl(2P1/2)] dissociation asymptotes, and provides measures of the electronic branching into these two active product channels, and the recoil anisotropy of each set of products, as a function of parent vibrational level (v″⩽2) and excitation wavelength. The availability of such experimental data allows mapping of the partial cross-sections for parallel (i.e., ΔΩ=0) and perpendicular (i.e., ΔΩ=±1) absorption as a function of excitation energy, and thus deconvolution of the room temperature parent absorption spectrum into contributions associated with excitation to the A 3Π(1), B 3Π(0+), and C 1Π(1) excited states of BrCl. This analysis of the continuous...

Atomic orbital alignment and coherence in N2O photodissociation at 193.3 nm

Strong recoil-frame orbital alignment is observed in the O1D2 product following photodissociation of N2O at 193.3 nm. Velocity map imaging allows for investigation of the angular distribution of this alignment, providing insight into the dynamics in the frame of the molecule. Analysis of the results using a rigorous quantum mechanical theory yields alignment anisotropy parameters having direct physical significance. This alignment is dominated by strong incoherent parallel and perpendicular contributions. In addition, evidence is shown of a contribution from a perpendicular coherence. These results provide detailed insight into the dynamics of the photodissociation process and the nature of the electronic transitions responsible for the initial excitation.

Comprehensive Single-Shot Proteomics with FAIMS on a Hybrid Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer

Liquid chromatography (LC) prefractionation is often implemented to increase proteomic coverage; however, while effective, this approach is laborious, requires considerable sample amount, and can be cumbersome. We describe how interfacing a recently described high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) device between a nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) emitter and an Orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer (MS) enables the collection of single-shot proteomic data with comparable depth to that of conventional two-dimensional LC approaches. This next generation FAIMS device incorporates improved ion sampling at the ESI-FAIMS interface, increased electric field strength, and a helium-free ion transport gas. With fast internal compensation voltage (CV) stepping (25 ms/transition), multiple unique gas-phase fractions may be analyzed simultaneously over the course of an MS analysis. We have comprehensively demonstrated how this device performs for bottom-up proteomics experiments as well as characterized the effects of peptide charge state, mass loading, analysis time, and additional variables. We also offer recommendations for the number of CVs and which CVs to use for different lengths of experiments. Internal CV stepping experiments increase protein identifications from a single-shot experiment to >8000, from over 100 000 peptide identifications in as little as 5 h. In single-shot 4 h label-free quantitation (LFQ) experiments of a human cell line, we quantified 7818 proteins with FAIMS using intra-analysis CV switching compared to 6809 without FAIMS. Single-shot FAIMS results also compare favorably with LC fractionation experiments. A 6 h single-shot FAIMS experiment generates 8007 protein identifications, while four fractions analyzed for 1.5 h each produce 7776 protein identifications.

Numerical simulation of ion transport in an atmosphere-to-vacuum interface taking into account gas dynamics and space charge.

A two-step approach was developed for the study of ion transport in an atmospheric pressure interface. In the first step, the flow in the interface was numerically simulated using the standard gas dynamic package ANSYS CFX 15.0. In the second step, the calculated fields of pressure, temperature, and velocity were imported into a custom-built software application for simulation of ion motion under the influence of both gas dynamic and electrostatic forces. To account for space charge effects in axially symmetric interfaces an analytical expression was used for the Coulomb force. For all other types of interfaces, an iterative approach for the Coulomb force computation was developed. The simulations show that the influence of the space charge is the main contributor to the loss of ion current in the heated capillary. In addition, the maximum ion current which can be transmitted through the heated capillary (0.58 mm inner diameter and 58.5 mm length) is limited to ∼6 nA for ions with m/z = 508 Da and with reduced ion mobility 1.05 cm2V−1s−1. This limit remains practically constant and independent of the ion current at the entrance of the capillary. For a particular ion type, this limit depends on its m/z ratio and ion mobility.