Photodissociation of ICl at 235–248 nm

Ab initio potential energy curves of the valence, Rydberg, and ion-pair states of iodine monochloride, ICl

We present for the first time a coherent ab initio study of 39 states of valence, Rydberg, and ion-pair character of the diatomic interhalogen ICl species through large scale multireference variational methods including spin-orbit effects coupled with quantitative basis sets. Various avoided crossings are responsible for a non-adiabatic behaviour creating a wonderful vista for its theoretical description. Our molecular constants are compared with all available experimental data with the aim to assist experimentalists especially in the high energy regime of up to ~95,000 cm(-1).

Ultraviolet photodissociation of iodine monochloride (ICl) at 235, 250, and 265 nm

ICl photolysis in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum (235-265 nm) is studied using the Slice Imaging technique. The Cl∗((2)P(1/2))/Cl((2)P(3/2)) and the I∗((2)P(1/2))/I((2)P(3/2)) branching ratio between the I((2)P(3/2)) + Cl((2)P(3/2))∕Cl∗((2)P(1/2)) and I∗((2)P(1/2)) + Cl((2)P(3∕/2))∕Cl∗((2)P(1/2)) channels is extracted from the respective iodine and chlorine photofragment images. We find that ground state chlorine atoms (Cl((2)P(3/2))) are formed nearly exclusively with excited state iodine atoms (I∗((2)P(1/2))), while excited spin-orbit chlorine atoms (Cl∗((2)P(1/2))) are concurrently produced only with ground state iodine atoms (I((2)P(3/2))). We conclude that photolysis of ICl in this UV region is a relatively "clean" source of spin-orbit excited chlorine atoms that can be used in crossed molecular beam experiments.

Branching ratios and anisotropy parameters in ICl photolysis from 400 to 570 nm using slice imaging

ICl photolysis in the visible region of the spectrum (400-570 nm) is studied using the slice imaging technique. The Cl((2)P(1/2))/Cl((2)P(3/2)) branching ratio between the I((2)P(3/2))+Cl((2)P(3/2)) and I((2)P(3/2))+Cl((2)P(1/2)) channels is extracted from the iodine photofragment images and it is found to range from 0 to 2.5, rising from 570 to 490 nm and dropping at higher photolysis energies. The I+Cl angular distribution exhibits a similar trend, changing from purely perpendicular at 570 nm to isotropic at 545 nm, fairly parallel at 490 nm and again perpendicular at 440 nm. Following previous work, we discuss these changes in light of avoided curve crossing and determine the crossing probability as a function of wavelength. The angular anisotropy parameter beta of the second channel ranges between 0.6 and 1.4.

Photofragment helicity caused by matter-wave interference from multiple dissociative states

Isolated diatomic molecules of iodine monochloride (ICl) were photodissociated by a beam of linearly polarized light, and the resulting ground-state Cl atom photofragments were detected by a method that is sensitive to the handedness (helicity) of the electronic angular momentum. It was found that this helicity oscillates between "topspin" and "backspin" as a function of the wavelength of the dissociating light. The helicity originates solely from the (de Broglie) matter-wave interference of multiple dissociating pathways of the electronic excited states of ICl. These measurements can be related to the identity and to the detailed shapes of the dissociating pathways, thus demonstrating that it is possible to probe repulsive states by spectroscopic means.