Up to a well defined energy threshold, photoabsorption can convert any ground state diatomic molecule only into either a molecular ion (ionization) or into neutral atoms (dissociation) - which of course may be ionized subsequently. Above the threshold, photoionization by a single photon can directly lead from neutral molecule to atomic ions (dissociative ionization) and various channels feeding into the nuclear and electronic continua start to compete with each other. One project in my lab investigates such three-body processes with the help of a molecular beam, tunable dye lasers, and a time-of-flight spectrometer. Our results allow close scrutiny of quantum and semi-classical calculations of the forces and the dynamics displayed in these three-body processes.
Recent publications:
B. Delahunty, K. Black and L. Hüwel, Probing the 1 2Su+ Cation State by Low Energy Dissociative Ionization of Na2, Phys. Rev. A 60, 1179 (1999)
R. Baumfalk, Ch. Frischkorn, N. H. Nahler, U. Buck and L. Hüwel, Photodissociation of HBr molecules and clusters: Anisotropy parameters, branching ratios, and kinetic energy distributions, J. Chem. Phys. 111, 2595 (1999)
B. Delahunty and L. Hüwel, Near Threshold Dissociative Ionization of Na2 in the 4 1Sg+ State, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 1186 (1998)
Last updated by Lutz Hüwel - September 2005