VIBRATIONALLY STATE-SELECTIVE PHOTOASSOCIATION BY INFRARED SUBPICOSECOND LASER-PULSES - MODEL SIMULATIONS FOR O-]OH(UPSILON)(H)

The quantum dynamics of a photoassociation reaction in the electronic ground state controlled by an infrared picosecond laser pulse; is inve stigated, The association reaction O + H --> OH(v) is simulated by rep resentative wavepackets. The OH molecule to be formed is modeled as a non-rotating Morse oscillator. it is shown that the initial free conti nuum state of O + H can be transferred selectively into a specified vi brational bound state by interaction with an infrared laser pulse. Opt imal design of the laser control field leads to high association proba bility with very high vibrational state selectivity.