ANGULAR-DISTRIBUTIONS FOR PHOTODISSOCIATION OF O-2 IN THE HERZBERG CONTINUUM

Photodissociation in the Herzberg continuum of molecular oxygen has be en studied at 236, 226 and 204 nm. Using ion-imaging and monitoring of O(P-3(j)), j=0, 1, and 2 product-atom angular distributions, the amou nt of parallel character of the transition was measured. In order to i nterpret these data, analyses of the photoabsorption oscillator streng ths and the parallel-perpendicular nature of the Herzberg I, II and II I bands, and extrapolation of these properties into the Herzberg-conti nuum region have been performed. Our measured fine-structure-averaged angular distributions are found to be consistent with this photoabsorp tion model. In addition, the dynamics of the dissociation process is d iscussed, based on the O-atom fine-structure distributions. (C) 1998 A merican Institute of Physics.