Full-dimensional quantum molecular dynamics calculations of the rovibrationally mediated X 1A′ → 2 1A′′ transition of nitrous oxide

Abstract

A full dimensional time-dependent quantum wavepacket approach is used to study the photodissociation dynamics of nitrous oxide for the X 1A′ → 2 1A′′ bound–bound transition based on new highly accurate potential energy and transition dipole moment surfaces. The computed 2 1A′′ absorption spectra at room temperature are characterized by sharp vibrational structures that contribute slightly to the diffuse vibrational structures around the maximum peak at 180 nm of the first ultraviolet absorption band (from the contribution of 2 1A′, 1 1A′′, and 2 1A′′ states) of N2O. Transitions from different initial rovibrational states reveal that the sharp structures arise mainly from N2O bending vibrations, whereas, at higher temperatures, the N2O and NNO stretching vibrations are responsible for enhancing the intensity of the structures. At absorption wavelengths 166 nm and 179 nm, vibrational quantum state distributions of N2 product fragments decrease monotonically with increasing vibrational quantum number v = 0, 1, 2. At 166 nm, rotational quantum state distributions of N2 at fixed v = 0 and v = 1 display multimodal profiles with maximum peaks at j = 77 and j = 75, respectively, whereas, the distributions at the 179 nm absorption wavelength display bimodal profiles with maximum peaks at j = 73 and j = 71, respectively. Accordingly, the presence of rotationally hot N2 from previous experimental and theoretical works in the first band strongly implies a significant influence of the 2 1A′′ state in determining the final dissociation pathway of N2 + O. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.