State-to-state vibrational predissociation dynamics of the acetylene-HF complex

The vibrational predissociation of the acetylene-HF complex has been studie d by probing the final state distributions of the photofragments, including the intermolecular scalar correlations. Results are presented for excitati on of both the asymmetric C-H stretching vibration of the acetylene and the H-F stretch. In the latter case, the primary dissociation channel is V-R, resulting in highly rotationally excited HF produced in coincidence with gr ound vibrational state acetylene. Excitation of the asymmetric C-H stretch results in intramolecular V-V energy transfer to the C-C stretch excited st ate of the acetylene. The dissociation energy of the complex is determined to be 1088 cm(-1) +/- 2 cm(-1). (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0 021-9606(99)02601-X].