DISSOCIATIVE-ATTACHMENT CROSS-SECTIONS FOR EXCITED AND GROUND ELECTRONIC STATES OF SO2

Absolute cross sections for dissociative attachment of electrons to th e ground and electronically excited states have been measured using th e relative flow technique. The excited molecules were prepared by lase r optical pumping and their fraction was determined from the reduction in the dissociative attachment signal from the ground state. The cros s sections for the excited state were determined by normalizing to thi s fraction. The success of this experiment should lead to similar meas urements on other molecules.