RESONANCE IONIZATION MASS-SPECTROSCOPY OF ATOMIC PRODUCTS FORMED BY PHOTODISSOCIATION OF SODIUM-IODIDE MOLECULES

The products produced by photofragmentation in a molecular beam of sod ium iodide, NaI, are investigated utilizing the technique of resonance ionization spectroscopy for the metal fragment, Na. Time-of-flight ma ss spectra are recorded, as a function of the wavelength of the resona nt excitation step, and in dependence of the laser pulse energy. In pa rticular, the appearance of non-resonantly generated atomic and molecu lar ions is discussed, highlighting the importance of mass-selective a nalysis of the ions formed in the interaction volume of the laser and molecular beams.