Extraction of molecular dynamics in intense laser fields from mass-resolved momentum imaging maps: application to Coulomb explosion of NO

The nuclear dynamics of NO in intense laser fields (similar to 1.4 PW cm(-2 )) is studied on the basis of the momentum-scaled time-of-flight spectra an d mass-resolved momentum imaging maps of the atomic fragment ions, NP+ and Oq+ (p, q = 1-3), produced from the (p, q) Coulomb explosion pathways of NO , i.e. NO(p+q)+ --> Np+ + Oq+. A procedure to extract nuclear dynamics from the momentum maps is proposed by taking account of the effect of the finit e detector size. The resultant nine (p, q) single-pathway components show t hat (a) the distributions of the N-O internuclear distance of NOz+ just bef ore the Coulomb explosion exhibit significant broadening (similar to 1 Angs trom); (b) the distance at which the corresponding distribution takes a max imum increases from 1.68 to 2.34 Angstrom as z from 2 to 6 with a small amo unt of suppression at odd z (z = 3, 5); and (c) the atomic fragment ions ex hibit narrower angular distributions for a larger total charge z (= p + q) of NOz+.