SO(X(3)SIGMA(-)) PRODUCT ENERGY DISPOSAL IN THE DESULFURIZATION REACTION OF THIIRANE WITH O(P-3) ATOMS

The SO(X(3) Sigma(-)) product energy disposal in the desulfurization r eaction of thiirane (C2H4S) with O(P-3) atom has been studied by probi ng its rovibrational state distributions via laser-induced fluorescenc e spectroscopy on the B-3 Sigma(-)-X(3) Sigma(-) transition. The O(P-3 ) atom was produced by 351 nm photolysis of NO2. The nascent SO(X(3) S igma(-)) product vibrational state distribution was found to be invert ed with a maximum at upsilon '' = 1 and measurable population was dete cted up to upsilon '' = 8. The rotational state distributions of SO(X( 3) Sigma(-), upsilon '' = 1-5) produced within two gas kinetic collisi ons can be characterized by an average rotational temperature, T-R = 1 163 +/- 311 K. The observed SO(X(3) Sigma(-)) internal energy accounts for 16% of the total energy available to the products. No evidence fo r the production of other species, e.g. OH, was observed. The non-stat istical energy distribution in SO(X(3) Sigma(-)) is consistent with an abstraction mechanism for the title reaction.