PHOTODISSOCIATION DYNAMICS OF THE I-2(-) ANION USING FEMTOSECOND PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY

The photodissociation dynamics of the I-2(-) anion have been studied i n real-time using femtosecond photoelectron spectroscopy. In this expe riment, I-2(-) is excited to a dissociative electronic state with an u ltrafast pump pulse, and the photoelectron spectrum of the dissociatin g anion is measured by photodetachment with a second, ultrafast probe pulse. The variation of the photoelectron spectrum with delay time ena bles one to monitor the dissociating anion from the initial Franck-Con don region of excitation out to the asymptotic region. Dissociation oc curs on a time scale of 100 fs. The results are compared with quantum mechanical simulations using previously published potential energy cur ves for I-2(-).