Rotational-resolved pulsed field ionization photoelectron study of NO+(X 1Σ+,v+=0–32) in the energy range of 9.24–16.80 eV

Abstract

We have obtained rotationally resolved pulsed filed ionization photoelectron (PFI-PE) spectra of NO in the energy range of 9.2–16.8 eV, covering ionization transitions of NO+(X 1Σ+,v+=0–32,J+)←NO(X 2Π3/2,1/2,v″=0,J″). The PFI-PE bands for NO+(X 1Σ+,v+=6–32) obtained here represent the first rotationally resolved spectroscopic data for these states. The simulation using the Buckingham–Orr–Sichel model provides accurate molecular constants for NO+(X 1Σ+,v+=0–32), including ionization energies, vibrational constants (ωe+=2 382.997±0.122 cm−1, ωe+χe+=17.437 84±0.000 90 cm−1, ωe+ye+=0.063 209 5±3.2×10−6 cm−1, and ωe+ze+=−0.001 400 0±7.2×10−8 cm−1), and rotational constants (Be+=1.996 608±0.006 259 cm−1, αe+=0.020 103±6.3×10−5 cm−1, and γe+=−(7.22±2.26)×10−6 cm−1). For v+=0–15, the rotational branches are ΔJ=J+−J″=±1/2, ±3/2, ±5/2, ±7/2, and ±9/2, which correspond to the formation of photoelectron angular momentum states l=0, 1, 2, and 3. The ΔJ=±1/2, ±3/2, ±5/2, ±7/2, ±9/2, and ±11/2 rotational branches are observed in the spectra for v+=16–32, revealing the production of continuum photoelectron states l=0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. The maximum ΔJ value and intensities for high ΔJ rotational branches are found to generally increase as v+ is increased in the range of 0–32. This observation is attributed to an increase in inelastic cross sections for collisions between the outgoing photoelectron and the nonspherical molecular ion core as the bond distance for NO+ is increased. Thus, this observation can be taken as strong support for the electron-molecular-ion-core scattering model for angular momentum and energy exchanges in the threshold photoionization of NO.