OBSERVATION OF FINE-STRUCTURE AND HYPERFINE-STRUCTURE DEPOLARIZATION IN THE PHOTOFRAGMENT ANISOTROPY IN TRIPLET H-2

Electron spin and nuclear spin reduce the anisotropy of photofragments in relatively long-lived levels of the g(3) Sigma(g)(+) and i(3)II(g) states Of the n = 3 triplet gerade system of molecular hydrogen. The intramolecular forces due to the spin result in a precession of the pl ane of rotation around the total angular momentum vector. The photofra gment anisotropy reveals whether the excited state lifetime allows for this precession to occur, hence whether the fine and hyperfine struct ure are resolvable. In partially fine structure resolved experiments, using fast beam photofragment spectroscopy, this fine and hyperfine st ructure depolarization is observed. The theory behind the depolarizati on is presented as well.