State-to-state behavior in the neutral dissociation of O2 far beyond the ionization threshold.

Abstract

The two-dimensional yield spectrum of fluorescence radiation from excited O atoms produced in the neutral photodissociation of ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ is measured as a function of both excitation photon wavelength of 50-62 nm (24.8-20 eV photon energy) and fluorescence wavelength of 80-140 nm. State-to-state neutral dissociation pathway of the Rydberg states converging onto ${{\mathrm{O}}_{2}}^{+}(c^{4}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{\ensuremath{-}})$, ${v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=1$ into the $\mathrm{O}(ns^{3}S)+\mathrm{O}(^{1}D)$ dissociation limit is revealed, where the principal quantum numbers of the Rydberg orbitals are conserved into those of excited O atoms.