SURFACE DISSOCIATION OF MACROMOLECULES IN POLYMERS UNDER THE ACTION OF UV LASER-RADIATION

Methods of time-of-flight dynamic mass spectrometry and laser-induced luminescence are employed to investigate the dissociation of polystyre ne macromolecules from the surface of polymers irradiated with the fou rth harmonic of a Nd3+:YAG laser with moderate intensities (10(3) < q < 10(5) W/cm(2)). It is demonstrated that light-induced heating of the sample and thermal effects are insignificant within the studied range of laser intensities. However, the process under investigation is sub stantially nonlinear in q. The proposed mechanism of the photoprocess being observed implies a two-step excitation of macromolecules to high -lying triplet states.