Ra. Loomis et al., Photofragmentation of ammonia at 193.3 nm: Bimodal rotational distributions and vibrational excitation of NH2((A)over-tilde), J CHEM PHYS, 112(2), 2000, pp. 658-669
Time-resolved Fourier transform infrared emission spectroscopy is used to m
easure the nascent rovibrational distribution of low-lying electronically e
xcited NH2((A) over tilde (2)A(1)) produced in the 193.3 nm photolysis of r
oom-temperature and jet-cooled ammonia. Emission is observed predominantly
from NH2((A) over tilde) states with rotational motion about the a-axis and
without bending excitation, upsilon(2)'=0. A bimodal N-'=K-a' rotational s
tate population distribution is observed with up to K-a'=7 in upsilon(2)'=0
and with maxima at K-a'=5 and K-a'=1. We suggest that the bimodal rotation
al distribution may result from the competition between planar and bent geo
metries during dissociation. Weaker emission from NH2((A) over tilde) with
bending excitation, upsilon(2)'=1 and 2, is detected; the upsilon(2)'=1, N'
=K-a' rotational state population distribution spans from K-a'=0 to the ene
rgetic limit of K-a'=4. The vibrational energy partitioning for the formati
on of NH2((A) over tilde,upsilon(2)'=0):NH2((A) over tilde,upsilon(2)'=1) i
s 3:1 and 2:1 in the room-temperature and jet-cooled conditions, respective
ly. An upper limit of the NH2((A) over tilde,upsilon(2)'=2) population is s
imilar to 10% of the total NH2((A) over tilde) photofragments. Emission fro
m rotational states with N'> K-a' (molecules with rotational excitation abo
ut the b/c-axes) is also observed. Under jet-cooled conditions the NH2(A) b
/c-axes rotational temperature of similar to 120 K is higher than that expe
cted from the rotationally cold parent species and is attributed to a mappi
ng of the zero-point bending motion in the nu(4) H-N-H scissors bending coo
rdinate of the NH3((A) over tilde) predissociative state onto the NH2((A) o
ver tilde,upsilon(2)',N',K-a')+H photofragments. (C) 2000 American Institut
e of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)00202-6].