Abstract

We report our experimental investigation of the rotational, vibrational, and translational energy distribution in H₂ formed from the dissociation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene (CHDN). This process is symmetry allowed for 1,4-CHDN in its ground electronic state with a potential energy barrier of 43.8 kcal/mole.¹ The vibrational excitation of 1,4-CHDN was induced through an electronic transition followed by a rapid internal conversion process. The method we employed for the state specific detection of H₂ used an ultrahigh resolution vacuum ultraviolet-extreme ultraviolet (VUV-XUV) laser system² to ionize H₂ via (1 + 1) REMPI through either the B¹Σ_u or C¹Π_u states.

© 1990 Optical Society of America