Knowledge Bank

Using a variation of the optothermal detection method, photofragment angular distributions for several HF containing van der Waals complexes have been measured. These distributions show resolved structure which can be assigned to individual fragment dissociation channels. This data can be used to establish correlations between the rotational states of the two fragments. The relative state-to-state cross sections for $(HF)2$ are determined and compared with unimolecular dissociation theories. This comparison clearly shows that the predissociation dynamics of $(HF)2$ is highly non-statistical. In addition to this information, the experiment also yields an accurate zero point dissociation energy $(Do)$ for $(HF)2.$