Abstract

One of the most fundamental observables of the prototypical photodissociation reaction, AB + ħω →A + B, is the correlated-product-state distribution, $\text{P}\left({\underset{¯}{\text{n}}}_{\text{A}},{\underset{¯}{\text{n}}}_{\text{B}}\right)$, which gives the probability that fragment A is produced in quantum state $\left|{\underset{\_}{\text{n}}}_{\text{A}}\right.〉$ when fragment B is simultaneously produced in quantum state $\left|{\underset{\_}{\text{n}}}_{\text{B}}\right.〉$. Determination of $\text{P}\left({\underset{¯}{\text{n}}}_{\text{A}},{\underset{¯}{\text{n}}}_{\text{B}}\right)$ is possible through quantum-state-specific translational energy measurements.

© 1995 Optical Society of America