Photodissociation of HOCl: A model for the prediction of the OH Λ-doublet and Cl spin–orbit product state distributions

Abstract

HOCl is a closed shell system in its ground electronic state. In common with many molecules it is photodissociated to give open shell fragments. In this paper the photodissociation process HOCl(X 1A′)+hν→HOCl(2 1A′)→OH+Cl is investigated. A model is proposed to predict the OH product spin–orbit and Λ-doublet state distributions as well as the distribution of the Cl atom spin–orbit states. The model considers both the electronic structure of the system and the nuclear motion. Predictions are made not only of the individual fragment state distributions and of their dependence on total initial angular momentum and photon frequency, but also of the degree of correlation between the production of the different states of the two open shell fragments. The computed results agree with the available experiments, in particular the current theory is the first to agree with experimental findings in predicting a smoothly varying OH rotational state distribution. It is demonstrated that the model reproduces the frequency dependence of the absorption line shape as computed using more exact procedures. In the simple treatment presented here rotational transitions during the dissociation process are ignored, as is the detailed coupling of the electronic states in the asymptotic region. Some of the remaining disagreements between the current predictions and the experimental results are ascribed to these approximations in the model. It is hoped that the predictions of the correlated product state distributions will stimulate coincidence experiments on the photodissociation process.