Action spectroscopy and temperature diagnostics of H+ 3 by chemical probing

Infrared absorption spectroscopy of few hundred H+(3) ions trapped in a 22-pole ion trap is presented using chemical probing as a sensitive detection technique down to the single ion level. By exciting selected overtone transitions of the (v(1)=0,v(2) (l)=3(1))<--(0,0(0)) vibrational band using an external cavity diode laser an accurate diagnostics measurement of the effective translational and rotational temperatures of the trapped ions was performed. The absolute accuracy of the measured transition frequencies was improved by a factor of four compared to previous plasma spectroscopy measurements using velocity modulation [Ventrudo et al., J. Chem. Phys. 100, 6263 (1994)]. The observed buffer gas cooling conditions in the ion trap indicate how to cool trapped H+(3) ions into the lowest ortho and para rotational states. Future experiments will utilize such an internally cold ion ensemble for state-selected dissociative recombination experiments at the heavy ion storage ring Test Storage Ring (TSR).     

Vibrational Spectroscopy of the Dehydrogenated Uracil Radical by Autodetachment of Dipole‐Bound Excited States of Cold Anions

Molecules with large enough dipole moments can bind an electron by the dipole field, which has little effect on the molecular core. A molecular anion can be excited to a dipole‐bound state, which can autodetach by vibronic coupling. Autodetachment spectroscopy of a complex anion cooled in a cryogenic ion trap is reported. Vibrational spectroscopy of the dehydrogenated uracil radical is obtained by a dipole‐bound state with partial rotational resolution. Fundamental frequencies for 21 vibrational modes of the uracil radical are reported. The electron affinity of the uracil radical is measured accurately to be 3.4810±0.0006 eV and the binding energy of the dipole‐bound state is measured to be 146±5 cm^?1. The rotational temperature of the trapped uracil anion is evaluated to be 35 K.     

Energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited naphthalene. III. Rotational effects

The rotational effects in the energy transfer between Kr atoms and highly vibrationally excited naphthalene in the triplet state were investigated using crossed-beam/time-sliced velocity map ion imaging at various translational collision energies. As the initial rotational temperature changes from less than 10 to approximately 350 K, the ratio of vibrational to translational (V-->T) energy transfer cross section to translational to vibrational/rotational (T-->VR) energy transfer cross section increases, but the probability of forming a complex during the collisions decreases. Significant increases in the large V-->T energy transfer probabilities, termed supercollisions, at high initial rotational temperature were observed.     

Relaxation behavior of rovibrationally excited H2 in a rarefied expansion

The evolution of the rotational and vibrational distributions of molecular hydrogen in a hydrogen plasma expansion is measured using laser induced fluorescence in the vacuum-UV range. The evolution of the distributions along the expansion axis shows the relaxation of the molecular hydrogen from the high temperature in the upstream region to the low ambient temperature in the downstream region. During the relaxation, the vibrational distribution, which has been recorded up to v = 6, is almost frozen in the expansion and resembles a Boltzmann distribution at T approximately 2200 K. However, the rotational distributions, which have been recorded up to J = 17 in v = 2 and up to J = 11 in v = 3, cannot be described with a single Boltzmann distribution. In the course of the expansion, the lower rotational levels (J < 5) adapt quickly to the ambient temperature ( approximately 500 K), while the distribution of the higher rotational levels (J > 7) is measured to be frozen in the expansion at a temperature between 2000 and 2500 K. A model based on rotation-translation energy transfer is used to describe the evolution of the rotational distribution of vibrational level v = 2 in the plasma expansion. The behavior of the low rotational levels (J < 5) is described satisfactory. However, the densities of the higher rotational levels decay faster than predicted.     

Rotational distribution of H2+ ions produced by 90 eV electron impact

The rotational temperature for the vibrational levels v = 7 to 11 of H₂⁺ ions formed by 90 eV electron impact on H₂ is determined. This is achieved by photodissociating the ions in a fast beam, combined with translational spectroscopy using a time- and position-sensitive detector. The temperatures were found to decrease from 127 K for v = 7 to 110 K for v = 11. A model that conserves the angular momentum N during the ionization process can explain these results. The inclusion of the N-dependence of the photodissociation cross section is compulsary to obtain accurate temperatures. This is demonstrated in a separate experiment, in which we looked at the minimum near 575 nm of the photodissociation cross section for H₂⁺ ions in v = 9 and different N. Due to the rotational stretching of the molecule, this minimum shifts to a larger wavelength for increasing N, in accordance with our experimental findings.     

Vibrational relaxation of molecular ions at low temperatures: O2(-) (v=1) + Ar

The vibrational relaxation of oxygen molecular ions trapped in an argon cage in the temperature range 10-85 K has been studied using semiclassical procedures. The collision model is based on the trapped molecule undergoing the restricted motions (local translation and hindered rotation) in a cage formed by its 12 nearest argon neighbors in a face-centered cubic arrangement. At 85 K in the liquid argon temperature range, the relaxation rate constant of O2(-) (v=1) is 1130 s(-1). The rate constant decreases to 270 s(-1) at 50 K and to 3.90 s(-1) at 10 K in the solid argon temperature range. In the range 10-85 K, the rate constant closely follows the temperature dependence k proportional to T2.7. Energy transfer pathways for the trapped molecular ion are vibration to local translation, argon phonon modes, and rotation (both hindered and free).     

Vibrationally inelastic collisions in H+ +CO system: comparing quantum calculations with experiments

State-resolved cross beam experiments [H. Udseth et al., J. Chem. Phys. 60, 3051 (1974); J. Krutein and F. Linder, J. Chem. Phys. 71, 599 (1979); G. Niedner-Schatteburg and J. P. Toennies, Adv. Chem. Phys. LXXXII, 553 (1992)], coupled with proton energy loss spectroscopy for the inelastic scattering of H(+) from CO in the collision range of 10-30 eV show very low vibrational excitation of the target molecule. Stimulated by the experimentally observed low vibrational inelasticity in the system the ground and the first two low-lying excited electronic potential-energy surfaces have been computed using the ab initio multireference configuration interaction method. Quantum dynamics has been performed on the ground potential energy surface in the framework of vibrational close-coupling rotational infinite-order sudden approximation. The various computed dynamical attributes such as differential and integral cross sections, and average vibrational energy transfer are analyzed in detail, and compared successfully with the available experimental results.     

State-to-state differential and relative integral cross sections for rotationally inelastic scattering of H2O by hydrogen

State-to-state differential cross sections (DCSs) for rotationally inelastic scattering of H(2)O by H(2) have been measured at 71.2 meV (574 cm(-1)) and 44.8 meV (361 cm(-1)) collision energy using crossed molecular beams combined with velocity map imaging. A molecular beam containing variable compositions of the (J = 0, 1, 2) rotational states of hydrogen collides with a molecular beam of argon seeded with water vapor that is cooled by supersonic expansion to its lowest para or ortho rotational levels (J(KaKc) = 0(00) and 1(01), respectively). Angular speed distributions of fully specified rotationally excited final states are obtained using velocity map imaging. Relative integral cross sections are obtained by integrating the DCSs taken with the same experimental conditions. Experimental state-specific DCSs are compared with predictions from fully quantum scattering calculations on the most complete H(2)O-H(2) potential energy surface. Comparison of relative total cross sections and state-specific DCSs show excellent agreement with theory in almost all details.     

Laser-induced fluorescence and pure rotational spectroscopy of the CH2CHS (vinylthio) radical

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation spectra of the B-X (2)A(") electronic transition of the CH(2)CHS radical, which is the sulfur analog of the vinoxy (CH(2)CHO) radical, were observed under room temperature and jet-cooled conditions. The LIF excitation spectra show very poor vibronic structures, since the fluorescence quantum yields of the upper vibronic levels are too small to detect fluorescence, except for the vibrationless level in the B state. A dispersed fluorescence spectrum of jet-cooled CH(2)CHS from the vibrationless level of the B state was also observed, and vibrational frequencies in the X state were determined. Precise rotational and spin-rotation constants in the ground vibronic level of the radical were determined from pure rotational spectroscopy using a Fourier-transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometer and a FTMW-millimeter wave double-resonance technique [Y. Sumiyoshi et al., J. Chem. Phys. 123, 054324 (2005)]. The rotationally resolved LIF excitation spectrum for the vibronic origin band of the jet-cooled CH(2)CHS radical was analyzed using the ground state molecular constants determined from pure rotational spectroscopy. Determined molecular constants for the upper and lower electronic states agree well with results of ab initio calculations.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of surface-initiated melting of nitromethane

The melting of nitromethane initiated at solid-vacuum interfaces has been investigated using molecular dynamics nvt simulations with a realistic force field [D. C. Sorescu et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 8406 (2000)]. The calculated melting point (251+/-5 K) is in good agreement with experiment (244.73 K) and values obtained previously (approximately 255.5 and 266.5+/-8 K) using other simulation methods [P. M. Agrawal et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 9617 (2003)]. Analyses of the molecular orientations and diffusion during the simulations as functions of the distance from the exposed surfaces show that the melting is a direct crystal-to-liquid transition, in which the molecules first gain rotational freedom, then mobility. There is a slight dependence of the melting temperature on the exposed crystallographic face.     

The He-LiH potential energy surface revisited. II. Rovibrational energy transfer on a three-dimensional surface

We use our rigid rotor He-LiH potential energy surface [B. K. Taylor and R. J. Hinde, J. Phys. Chem. 111, 973 (1999)] as a starting point to develop a three-dimensional potential surface that describes the interaction between He and a rotating and vibrating LiH molecule. We use a fully quantum treatment of the collision dynamics on the current potential surface to compute rovibrational state-to-state cross sections. We compute excitation and relaxation vibrational rate constants as a function of temperature by integrating these cross sections over a Maxwell-Boltzmann translational energy distribution and summing over Boltzmann-weighted initial rotational levels. The rate constants for vibrational excitation of LiH are very small for temperatures below 300 K. Rate constants for vibrational relaxation of excited LiH molecules, however, are several orders of magnitude larger and show very little temperature dependence, suggesting that the collisions that result in vibrational relaxation are governed by long-range attractive interactions.     

Infrared dynamic polarizability of HD+ rovibrational states

A calculation of dynamic polarizabilities of rovibrational states with vibrational quantum number v = 0-7 and rotational quantum number J = 0,1 in the 1sσ(g) ground-state potential of HD(+) is presented. Polarizability contributions by transitions involving other 1sσ(g) rovibrational states are explicitly calculated, whereas contributions by electronic transitions are treated quasi-statically and partially derived from existing data [R. E. Moss and L. Valenzano, Mol. Phys., 2002, 100, 1527]. Our model is valid for wavelengths >4 μm and is used to assess level shifts due to the blackbody radiation (BBR) electric field encountered in experimental high-resolution laser spectroscopy of trapped HD(+) ions. Polarizabilities of 1sσ(g) rovibrational states obtained here agree with available existing accurate ab initio results. It is shown that the Stark effect due to BBR is dynamic and cannot be treated quasi-statically, as is often done in the case of atomic ions. Furthermore it is pointed out that the dynamic Stark shifts have tensorial character and depend strongly on the polarization state of the electric field. Numerical results of BBR-induced Stark shifts are presented, showing that Lamb-Dicke spectroscopy of narrow vibrational optical lines (～10 Hz natural linewidth) in HD(+) will become affected by BBR shifts only at the 10(-16) level.     

Infrared-vacuum ultraviolet-pulsed field ionization-photoelectron study of CH(3)I(+) using a high-resolution infrared laser

By using a high-resolution single mode infrared-optical parametric oscillator laser to prepare CH(3)I in single (J,K) rotational levels of the nu(1) (symmetric C-H stretching) =1 vibrational state, we have obtained rovibrationally resolved infrared-vacuum ultraviolet-pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (IR-VUV-PFI-PE) spectra of the CH(3)I(+)(X(2)E(32);nu(1)(+)=1;J(+),P(+)) band, where (J,K) and (J(+),P(+)) represent the respective rotational quantum numbers of CH(3)I and CH(3)I(+). The IR-VUV-PFI-PE spectra observed for K=0 and 1 are found to have nearly identical structures. The IR-VUV-PFI-PE spectra for (J,K)=(5,0) and (7, 0) are also consistent with the previous J-selected IR-VUV-PFI-PE measurements. The analysis of these spectra indicates that the photoionization cross section of CH(3)I depends strongly on DeltaJ(+)=J(+)-J: but not on J and K. This observation lends strong support for the major assumption adopted for the semiempirical simulation scheme, which has been used for the simulation of the origin bands observed in VUV-PFI-PE study of polyatomic molecules. Using the state-to-state photoionization cross sections determined in this IR-VUV study, we have obtained excellent simulation of the VUV-PFI-PE origin band of CH(3)I(+)(X (2)E(32)), yielding more precise IE(CH(3)I)=76 930.7+/-0.5 cm(-1) and nu(1) (+)=2937.8+/-0.2 cm(-1).     

Low-energy rotational inelastic collisions of H(+) + CO system

The quantum mechanical state-to-state rotational excitation cross sections have been computed using the ab initio ground electronic state potential energy surface of the system [M. Mladenovic and S. Schmatz, J. Chem. Phys. 109, 4456 (1998)] computed at coupled-cluster single and double and triple perturbative excitations method using correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple zeta basis set where the asymptotic potential have been computed using the dipole moment, quadrupole moment, and the molecular polarizability components and fitted to this interaction potential. The anisotropy of the surface has been analyzed in terms of the multipolar expansion coefficients for the rigid-rotor surface. The integral cross sections for rotational excitations have been computed by solving close-coupled equations at very low collision energies (5-200 cm(-1)) and the corresponding rates have been obtained for a range of low temperatures (5-175 K). The j = 0 → j(') = 1 rotational excitation cross section (and rate) is found to be the dominant followed by the j = 0 → j(') = 2 in these collision energies. The close-coupling, coupled-state, and infinite-order sudden approximations coupling calculations have been performed in the energy range of 0.1-1.0 eV using vibrational ground potential. The rotational cross sections have been obtained by performing computationally accurate close-coupling calculations at 0.1 eV using vibrationally averaged potential (ν = 1) and compared with the results of vibrational ground potential.     

Rotational and rovibrational spectroscopy of CH3NC of the ground and ν4 = 1 vibrational states

The parallel vibration-rotation band ν(4) of methyl isocyanide (CH(3)NC), with a band center at 944.9 cm(-1), was studied by FTIR spectroscopy between 890 and 980 cm(-1) in order to improve the ground-state rotational constants. Such improvement is essential for the scheduled studies of excited vibrational levels and their mutual anharmonic resonances occurring at higher values of the K rotational number. Ground-state combination differences generated from this band, spanning values of J/K from 0 to 85/13, were combined with rotational data from the literature and newly measured rotational transitions, extending the J/K range from 3/0 up to 31/14, and fitted simultaneously with a fully quantitative reproduction of the data. The infrared data of the ν(4) band were analyzed together with rotational data of the ν(4) = 1 level, spanning values of J/K from 4/0 to 14/12. The fit in the approximation of an isolated vibrational state, with the transitions perturbed by weak local resonances excluded, yields reproduction of the data within experimental uncertainties.     

What is the best DFT functional for vibronic calculations? A comparison of the calculated vibronic structure of the S1-S0 transition of phenylacetylene with cavity ringdown band intensities

The sensitivity of vibronic calculations to electronic structure methods and basis sets is explored and compared to accurate relative intensities of the vibrational bands of phenylacetylene in the S(1)(A(1)B(2)) ← S(0)(X(1)A(1)) transition. To provide a better measure of vibrational band intensities, the spectrum was recorded by cavity ringdown absorption spectroscopy up to energies of 2000 cm(-1) above the band origin in a slit jet sample. The sample rotational temperature was estimated to be about 30 K, but the vibrational temperature was higher, permitting the assignment of many vibrational hot bands. The vibronic structure of the electronic transition was simulated using a combination of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) electronic structure codes, Franck-Condon integral calculations, and a second-order vibronic model developed previously [Johnson, P. M.; Xu, H. F.; Sears, T. J. J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 125, 164331]. The density functional theory (DFT) functionals B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, and LC-BLYP were explored. The long-range-corrected functionals, CAM-B3LYP and LC-BLYP, produced better values for the equilibrium geometry transition moment, but overemphasized the vibronic coupling for some normal modes, while B3LYP provided better-balanced vibronic coupling but a poor equilibrium transition moment. Enlarging the basis set made very little difference. The cavity ringdown measurements show that earlier intensities derived from resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectra have relative intensity errors.     

Raman and X-ray investigations of ferroelectric phase transition in NH4HSO4

Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies have been carried out on NH(4)HSO(4) single crystals in the temperature range 77-298 K. Two structural transitions driven by the molecular ordering and change in crystal symmetries are observed below 263 and 143 K. These phase transitions are marked by the anomalies in the temperature dependence of wavenumber and fwhm of several internal vibrational modes. The Raman spectra and X-ray data enable us to understand the nature of the molecular ordering resulting in the ferroelectric phase below 263 K, sandwiched between two nonferroelectric phases. The crystal structure of the ferroelectric phase is determined correctly as Pc, which has been earlier solved in Ba symmetry. The temperature dependent Raman and X-ray results suggest that the disorder to order transition leading to lower symmetry below 263 K is driven by the change in HSO(4)(-) ions and that below 143 K is driven by the change in both HSO(4)(-) and NH(4)(+) ions.     

Motional narrowing of the rotational spectrum of trifluoropropyne at 6550 cm(-1) by intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution

We present the basic principles of dynamic rotational spectroscopy for the highly vibrationally excited symmetric top molecule trifluoropropyne (TFP,CF3CCH). Single molecular eigenstate rotational spectra of TFP were recorded in the region of the first overtone of the nu(1) acetylenic stretching mode at 6550 cm(-1) by infrared-pulsed microwave-Fourier transform microwave triple resonance spectroscopy. The average rotational constant (B) of the highly vibrationally mixed quantum states at 6550 cm(-1) is 2909.33 MHz, a value that is 40 MHz larger than the rotational constant expected for the unperturbed C-H stretch overtone (2869.39 MHz). The average rotational constant and rotational line shape of the molecular eigenstate rotational spectra are compared to the distribution of rotational constants expected for the ensemble of normal-mode vibrational states at 6550 cm(-1) that can interact by intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR). The normal-mode population distribution at 6550 cm(-1) can be described using a Boltzmann distribution with a microcanonical temperature of 1200 K. At this energy the rotational constant distribution in the normal-mode basis set is peaked at about 2910 MHz with a width of about 230 MHz. The distribution is slightly asymmetric with a tail to the high end. The experimentally measured dynamic rotational spectra are centered at the normal-mode distribution peak; however, the spectral width is significantly narrower (40 MHz) than normal-mode ensemble width (230 MHz). This reduction of the width, along with the Lorentzian shape of the eigenstate rotational spectra when compared to the Gaussian shape of the calculated ensemble distribution, illustrates the narrowing of the spectrum due to IVR exchange. The IVR exchange rate was determined to be 120 ps, about ten times faster than the rate at which energy is redistributed from the v=2 level of the acetylenic stretch.     

Vibrational excitation and relaxation of five polyatomic molecules in an electrical discharge

Vibrational excitation and relaxation of five linear polyatomic molecules, OCS, OC3S, HC3N, HC5N, and SiC2S, have been studied by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in a supersonic expansion after the application of a low-current dc electric discharge. For each chain, the populations in bending and stretching modes have been characterized as a function of the applied discharge current; for stable OCS and HC3N, vibrational populations were studied as well in the absence of a discharge. With no discharge present the derived vibrational temperatures are slightly below T, the temperature of the gas before the supersonic expansion (i.e., 300 K). In the presence of the discharge, vibrational excitation occurs via inelastic collisions with the electrons and the vibrational temperatures rise as the applied current increases. Global vibrational relaxation is governed by rapid vibration-vibration (VV) energy transfer and slow vibration-translation (VT) energy transfer. The latter process is rate-determining and depends primarily on the wave number of the vibration. Vibrational modes with wave numbers near and below kT/hc (where T = 300 K and kT/hc-210 cm(-1)) are efficiently cooled by VT transfer because a sufficient number of collisions occur in the initial stages of the supersonic expansion. Vibrational modes with wave numbers around 450 cm(-l) appear to be inefficiently cooled in the molecular beam; at these energies VV and VT rates are probably comparable. For high-frequency vibrations, VV energy transfer dominates. For the longer chains OC3S and HC5N, higher-lying modes are generally not detectable and vibrational temperatures of most lower-lying modes were found to be lower than those of OCS and HC3N, suggesting that as the size of the molecules increases, intermode VV transfer becomes more efficient, plausibly due to the higher density of vibrational levels. New high resolution spectroscopic data have been obtained for several vibrationally excited states of OC3S, HC3N, and HC5N. Rotational lines of the 13C and 15N isotopic species of HC5N have been measured, yielding improved rotational and centrifugal distortion constants; 14N nitrogen quadrupole coupling constants for the isotopic species of HC5N with 13C have been determined for the first time.     

Role of projectile and surface temperatures in the energy transfer dynamics of protonated peptide ion collisions with the diamond {111} surface

The effects of temperature on energy transfer during collisions of protonated diglycine ions, Gly(2)-H(+), with a diamond {111} surface were investigated by chemical dynamics simulations. The simulations were performed for a collision energy of 70 eV and angle of 0 degrees with respect to the surface normal. In one set of simulations the initial surface temperature, T(surf), was varied from 300 to 2000 K, while the Gly(2)-H(+) vibrational and rotational temperatures were maintained at 300 K. For the second set of simulations the Gly(2)-H(+) vibrational temperature, T(vib), was varied from 300 to 2000 K, keeping both the Gly(2)-H(+) rotational and surface temperatures at 300 K. Increasing either the surface temperature or Gly(2)-H(+) vibrational temperature to values as high as 2000 K has, at most, only a negligible effect on the partitioning of the incident collision energy to the surface and to the vibrational and rotational modes of Gly(2)-H(+). To a good approximation, the initial surface and peptide ion energies are nearly adiabatic during the collisional energy transfer. This adiabaticity of the initial peptide ion energy agrees with experiments (J. Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108, 1). A more quantitative analysis of the effects of T(vib) and T(surf) shows there are small, but noticeable, effects on the energy transfer efficiencies. Namely, increasing the vibrational or surface temperature results in a near-linear decrease in the energy transfer to the degrees of freedom associated with this temperature.