Two-body Coulomb explosion and hydrogen migration in methanol induced by intense 7 and 21 fs laser pulses

Two-body Coulomb explosion with the C-O bond breaking of methanol induced by intense laser pulses with the duration of Delta t=7 and 21 fs is investigated by the coincidence momentum imaging method. When Delta t=7 fs, the angular distribution of recoil vectors of the fragment ions for the direct C-O bond breaking pathway, CH(3)OH(2+)-->CH(3) (+)+OH(+), exhibits a peak deflected from the laser polarization direction by 30 degrees -45 degrees , and the corresponding angular distribution for the migration pathway, CH(2)OH(2) (+)-->CH(2) (+)+H(2)O(+), in which one hydrogen migrates from the carbon site to the oxygen site prior to the C-O bond breaking, exhibits almost the same profile. When the laser pulse duration is stretched to Delta t=21 fs, the angular distributions for the direct and migration pathways exhibit a broad peak along the laser polarization direction probably due to the dynamical alignment and/or the change in the double ionization mechanism; that is, from the nonsequential double ionization to the sequential double ionization. However, the extent of the anisotropy in the migration pathway is smaller than that in the direct pathway, exhibiting a substantial effect of hydrogen atom migration in the dissociative ionization of methanol interacting with the linearly polarized intense laser field.     

Visualizing hydrogen atoms migrating in acetylene dication by time-resolved three-body and four-body Coulomb explosion imaging

The visualization of ultrafast isomerization of deuterated acetylene dication (C(2)D(2)(2+)) is demonstrated by time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging with sub-10 fs intense laser pulses (9 fs, 0.13 PW cm(-2), 800 nm). The Coulomb explosion imaging monitoring the three-body explosion process, C(2)D(2)(3+)→ D(+) + C(+) + CD(+), as a function of the delay between the pump and probe pulses revealed that the migration of a deuterium atom proceeds in a recurrent manner; One of the deuterium atoms first shifts from one carbon site to the other in a short timescale (～90 fs), and then migrates back to the original carbon site by 280 fs, in competition with the molecular dissociation. Correlated motion of the two deuterium atoms associated with the hydrogen migration and structural deformation to non-planar geometry are identified by the time-resolved four-body Coulomb explosion imaging, C(2)D(2)(4+)→ D(+) + C(+) + C(+) + D(+).     

Effect of laser parameters on ultrafast hydrogen migration in methanol studied by coincidence momentum imaging

The effect of intensity, duration, and polarization of ultrashort laser pulses (795 nm, 40-100 fs, and 0.15-1.5 × 10(15) W/cm(2)) on the hydrogen migration in methanol is systematically investigated using Coulomb explosion coincidence momentum imaging. The ratio of the ion yield obtained for the migration pathway CH(3)OH(2+) → CH(2)(+) + OH(2)(+) with respect to the sum of the yields obtained for the migration pathway and for the nonmigration pathway CH(3)OH(2+) → CH(3)(+) + OH(+) exhibits a small (10-20%) but clear dependence on laser pulse properties, that is, the ratio decreases as the laser peak intensity increases but increases when the pulse duration increases as well as when the laser polarization is changed from linear to circular.     

Concerted and sequential Coulomb explosion processes of N2O in intense laser fields by coincidence momentum imaging

The Coulomb explosion dynamics of N2O in intense laser fields (800 nm, 60 fs, approximately 0.16 PWcm2) is studied by the coincidence momentum imaging method. From the momentum correlation maps obtained for the three-body fragmentation pathway, N2O3+-->N++N++O+, the ultrafast structural deformation dynamics of N2O prior to the Coulomb explosion is extracted. It is revealed that the internuclear N-N and N-O distances stretch simultaneously as the bond angle less than approximately N-N-O decreases. In addition, two curved thin distributions are identified in the momentum correlation maps, and are interpreted well as those originating from the sequential dissociation pathway, N2O3+-->N++NO2+-->N++N++O+.     

Hydrogen scrambling in ethane induced by intense laser fields: statistical analysis of coincidence events

Two-body Coulomb explosion processes of ethane (CH(3)CH(3)) and its isotopomers (CD(3)CD(3) and CH(3)CD(3)) induced by an intense laser field (800 nm, 1.0 × 10(14) W/cm(2)) with three different pulse durations (40 fs, 80 fs, and 120 fs) are investigated by a coincidence momentum imaging method. On the basis of statistical treatment of the coincidence data, the contributions from false coincidence events are estimated and the relative yields of the decomposition pathways are determined with sufficiently small uncertainties. The branching ratios of the two body decomposition pathways of CH(3)CD(3) from which triatomic hydrogen molecular ions (H(3)(+), H(2)D(+), HD(2)(+), D(3)(+)) are ejected show that protons and deuterons within CH(3)CD(3) are scrambled almost statistically prior to the ejection of a triatomic hydrogen molecular ion. The branching ratios were estimated by statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations by assuming a transition state with a hindered-rotation of a diatomic hydrogen moiety. The hydrogen scrambling dynamics followed by the two body decomposition processes are discussed also by using the anisotropies in the ejection directions of the fragment ions and the kinetic energy distribution of the two body decomposition pathways.     

Open-loop and closed-loop control of dissociative ionization of ethanol in intense laser fields

The relative yield of the C-O bond breaking with respect to the C-C bond breaking in ethanol cation C2H5OH+ is maximized in intense laser fields (10(13)-10(15) Wcm2) by open-loop and closed-loop optimization procedures. In the open-loop optimization, a train of intense laser pulses are synthesized so that the temporal separation between the first and last pulses becomes 800 fs, and the number and width of the pulses within a train are systematically varied. When the duration of 800 fs is filled with laser fields by increasing the number of pulses or by stretching all pulses in a triple pulse train, the relative yield of the C-O bond breaking becomes significantly large. In the closed-loop optimization using a self-learning algorithm, the four dispersion coefficients or the phases of 128 frequency components of an intense laser pulse are adopted as optimized parameters. From these optimization experiments it is revealed that the yield ratio of the C-O bond breaking is maximized as far as the total duration of the intense laser field reaches as long as approximately 1 ps and that the intermittent disappearance of the laser field within a pulse does not affect the relative yields of the bond breaking pathways.     

Role of photolysis frequency in enhanced selectivity and yield for controlled bond breaking in HOD

Quantum dynamical calculations on HOD subjected to different combinations of IR and UV pulses have been made to isolate field attributes which maximize selectivity and yield in the photodissociation of the desired O-H/O-D bond. Results from IR/UV pulse combinations which provide very high selectivity and/or yield are analyzed in detail by using population transfer, probability density flow, and flux variations to obtain microdynamic details favoring selectivity and yield. Results indicate that a 2727 cm (-1) 50 fs Gaussian IR pulse in conjunction with a 46,062 cm (-1) 50 fs Gaussian UV pulse with a time lag of approximately 90 fs between the IR and UV pulses gives 79.1% flux in the H-O + D channel and 6.6% flux in the H + O-D channel, whereas a 3706 cm (-1) 50 fs IR pulse in conjunction with a 51 090 cm (-1) UV pulse gives 9.2% flux in the H-O + D channel and 82.1% flux in the H + O-D channel. A 2727 cm (-1) 50 fs IR pulse in conjunction with a 40,062 cm (-1) 50 fs UV pulse provides the greatest selectivity among the sampled field profiles with a flux branching ratio of H-O + D/H + O-D approximately 487.8, and a 3706 cm (-1) 50 fs IR pulse in conjunction with a 45090 cm (-1) 50 fs UV pulse achieves a flux branching ratio of H + O-D/H-O + D approximately 1354.8.     

Fragmentation dynamics of methane by few-cycle femtosecond laser pulses

The fragmentation pattern of CH4 was experimentally studied at an intensity of approximately 10(14) W/cm2 with laser durations varying from 8 to 110 fs. When the laser duration was 8 fs, only the primarily fragmental CH3+ ion was observed in addition to the parent CH4+ ion. When the laser duration was 30 fs, small fragmental CH2+ and H+ ions appeared. When the laser duration was 110 fs, some doubly charged ions were also observed in addition to the abundant singly charged ions. The large mass spectra difference demonstrated that the pulse duration had a strong effect on the fragmentation of the parent ion produced in the single ionization. The effect of laser intensity on the fragmentation of CH4+ was also studied for few-cycle femtosecond laser pulses. The results demonstrated that the first-return recollision between the rescattered electron and the parent ion played a significant role in the fragmentation dynamics of the parent ion. Depending on the ion-electron impact energy, the recollision excited the parent ion to a dissociated state or doubly charged state. The experimentally observed singly charged fragmental ions resulted from the recollision-induced dissociation of CH4+ or the Coulomb explosion of CH(4)2+.     

The dynamics of allyl radical dissociation

Dissociation of the allyl radical, CH(2)CHCH(2), and its deuterated isotopolog, CH(2)CDCH(2), have been investigated using trajectory calculations on an ab initio ground-state potential energy surface calculated for 97,418 geometries at the coupled cluster single and double and perturbative treatment of triple excitations, with the augmented correlation consistent triple-ζ basis set level (CCSD(T)/AVTZ). At an excitation energy of 115 kcal/mol, corresponding to optical excitation at 248 nm, the primary channel is hydrogen loss with a quantum yield of 0.94 to give either allene or propyne in a ratio of 6.4:1. The total dissociation rate for CH(2)CHCH(2) is 6.3 × 10(10) s(-1), corresponding to a 1/e time of 16 ps. Methyl and C(2)H(2) are produced with a quantum yield of 0.06 by three different mechanisms: a 1,3 hydrogen shift followed by C-C cleavage to give methyl and acetylene, a double 1,2 shift followed by C-C cleavage to give methyl and acetylene, or a single 1,2 hydrogen shift followed by C-C cleavage to give methyl and vinylidene. In this last channel, the vinylidene eventually isomerizes to give internally excited acetylene, and the kinetic energy distribution is peaked at much lower energy (6.4 kcal/mol) than that for the other two channels (18 kcal/mol). The trajectory results also predict the v-J correlation, the anisotropy of dissociation, and distributions for the angular momentum of the fragments. The v-J correlation for the CH(3) + HCCH channel is strongest for high rotational levels of acetylene, where v is perpendicular to J. Methyl elimination is anisotropic, with β = 0.66, whereas hydrogen elimination is nearly isotropic. In the hydrogen elimination channel, allene is rotationally excited with a total angular momentum distribution peaked near J = 17. In the methyl elimination channel, the peak of the methyl rotational distribution is at J ≈ 12, whereas the peak of the acetylene rotational distribution is at J ≈ 28.     

Dissociative ionization of methane by chirped pulses of intense laser light

Measurements have been made of optical field-induced ionization and fragmentation of methane molecules at laser intensities in the 10(16) W cm(-2) range using near transform limited pulses of 100 fs duration as well as with chirped pulses whose temporal profiles extend up to 1500 fs. Data is taken both in constant-intensity and constant-energy modes. The temporal profile of the chirped laser pulse is found to affect the morphology of the fragmentation pattern that is measured. Besides, the sign of the chirp also affects the yield of fragments like C2+, H+, and H2+ that originate from methane dications that are formed by optical field-induced double ionization.     

Dalitz plot analysis of Coulomb exploding O3 in ultrashort intense laser fields

The three-body Coulomb explosion of O3, O3(3+)-->O++O++O+, in ultrashort intense laser fields (2x10(15) W/cm2) is studied with two different pulse durations (9 and 40 fs) by the coincidence momentum imaging method. In addition to a decrease in the total kinetic energy release, a broadening in the Dalitz plot distribution [Philos. Mag. 44, 1068 (1953)] is observed when the pulse duration is increased from 9 to 40 fs. The analysis based on a simple Coulomb explosion model shows that the geometrical structure of O3 remains almost unchanged during the interaction with the few-cycle intense laser fields, while a significant structural deformation along all the three vibrational coordinates, including the antisymmetric stretching coordinate, is identified in the 40 fs intense laser fields. The observed nuclear dynamics are discussed in terms of the population transfer to the excited states of O3.     

A proton between two waters: insight from full-dimensional quantum-dynamics simulations of the [H2O-H-OH2]+ cluster

The dynamics of a proton between two water molecules is studied by full-dimensional (15 dimensional) quantum dynamics using the multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method. The collision of H(3)O(+) and H(2)O fragments is followed by an ultrafast and nearly irreversible energy transfer from the degrees of freedom that define the hydrogen bond (oxygen-oxygen distance and central proton position) to the rest of the degrees of freedom. The vibrations of the oxygen-oxygen distance are damped within the first 300 fs while the vibrations of the shared proton along the hydrogen bond are damped within the first 150 to 200 fs. Collisions in which the fragments arrive with a high momentum to the interaction distance lead to more recrossing of the transferring proton than collisions with a lower momentum. Slow coordinates, e.g. pyramidalization of the water monomers, have less time to adapt to the incoming or outgoing proton in the case of a high momentum, which leads to an enhanced recrossing effect with respect to slower collisions. In order to understand the energy flow dynamics between the vibration of the shared proton and other degrees of freedom a 5-state model is constructed and exactly solved. The energies and couplings of the states of the model are obtained from the analysis of the infrared spectroscopy of the H(5)O(2)(+) cation, namely from splittings and shifts of the most important spectral lines. The model qualitatively reproduces the key aspects of the full dynamics related to the vibrations of the shared proton, indicating that the proposed coupling scheme is correct.     

Probing the ultrafast nuclear motion in CS2 2+ in intense laser fields

The temporal evolution of the nuclear wave packet of CS2 2+ formed in an intense laser field (60 fs, 0.13 PW/cm2) is traced in real time by the pump-and-probe technique combined with coincidence momentum imaging of the Coulomb explosion process, CS2 3+-->S+ + C+ + S+. The momentum correlations among the fragment ions obtained as a function of the pump-probe time delay between 133 fs to 3 ps reveal that the nuclear wave packet in CS2 2+ evolves not only along the anti-symmetric stretching coordinate to yield S+ and CS+ but also along the symmetric stretching coordinate leading to the simultaneous breaking of the two C-S bonds. The contribution from two different electronic states having bent and linear-type geometrical configurations is identified in the wave packet motion along the bending coordinate of CS2 2+.     

Rotational spectroscopy and molecular structure of the 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene-acetylene complex

Guided by ab initio calculations, Fourier transform microwave rotational spectra in the 6-22 GHz region are obtained for the complex formed between 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene and acetylene, including the normal isotopomer, three of four singly substituted (13)C species obtained in natural abundance, and using commercially available isotopic varieties of acetylene, species containing HCCD and H(13)C(13)CH. Although the ab initio calculations suggest two possible low energy planar arrangements for the molecules in the complex, only a single, unique structure is obtained from a combined analysis of the rotational constants derived from the spectra and atomic positions determined using Kraitchman [Am. J. Phys. 21, 17 (1953)] substitution coordinates. This structure is similar to that obtained for the CF(2)CHF[Single Bond]HF complex [H. O. Leung and M. D. Marshall, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 114310 (2007)] in which both the primary and secondary interactions occur between the HCCH molecule and a F atom and a H atom bonded to the same carbon of CF(2)CHF. The 2.748(15) A hydrogen bond has acetylene as the donor and 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene as the acceptor and forms a 104.49(15) degrees C[Single Bond]Fcdots, three dots, centeredH angle. The 2.8694(9) A secondary interaction between the pi bond of acetylene and the H atom geminal to the acceptor F atom causes the hydrogen bond to deviate 69.24(67) degrees from linearity. This large deviation from linearity and the similarity of the two intermolecular bond lengths suggest that the two interactions are becoming comparable in importance.     

Selective photodissociation of O-H and O-D bonds from ground vibrational state of HOD using simple UV pulses

Selective cleaving of both O-H and O-D bonds in HOD is achieved using reasonably simple UV pulses to excite the HOD molecule in its ground vibrational state to the repulsive first excited A ((1)B(1)) surface. Detailed theoretical analysis of population transfer and flux in the H+O-DH-O+D channels reveals an important preparatory role for the cross-talk between the participating levels and a possible role for the beat structure of the population transfer oscillations in facilitating selective dissociation. Excitation using a 50 fs single color 67,169 cm(-1) laser pulse achieves a branching ratio H+O-DH-O+D=5.64 with 82% flux in the H+O-D channel and 15% in the H-O+D channel. A two color 50 fs laser pulse with frequencies of 54 920 and 52 303 cm(-1) provides a branching ratio of H-O+DH+O-D=2.83 and 52% flux in the H-O+D channel and 18% in the H+O-D channel.     

Ca+RBr→CaBr+R(R=CH3,C2H5,n-C3H7)反应的矢量相关和产物的转动取向

The quasiclassical trajectory method is used to study the vector correlations of the reactions Ca+RBr (R=CH3, C2H5 and n-C3H7Br) and the rotational alignment of product CaBr. The product rotational alignment parameters at di?erent collision energies and the vector correlations between the reagent and product are numerically calculated. The vector correlations are described by using the angle distribution functions P(θr),P(φr), P(θr, φr) and the polarization-dependent differential cross sections (PDDCSs). The peak values of P(θr) of the product CaBr from Ca+CH3Br are larger than those from Ca+C2H5Br and Ca+n-C3H7Br. The peak of P(θr) atφr = 3π/2 is apparently stronger than that at φr= π/2 for the three reactions Ca+RBr. The calculation results show that the rotational angular momentum of the product CaBr is not only aligned, but also oriented along the direction which is perpendicular to the scattering plane.The product CaBr molecules are strongly scattered forward. The orientation and alignment of the product angular momentum will affect the scattering direction of the product molecules to varying degrees.     

Rotational spectroscopy and molecular structure of the 1,1-difluoroethylene-acetylene complex

Fourier transform microwave, rotational spectra in the 6-21 GHz region are obtained for the complex formed between 1,1-difluoroethylene and acetylene, including the normal isotopomer and each singly substituted (13)C species along with complexes derived from commercially available isotopic varieties of acetylene (HCCD, DCCD, and H(13)C(13)CH). Although two possible planar structures are consistent with the rotational constants derived from analysis of the spectra, ab initio calculations, as well as chemical intuition, support only one of the two as the structure of the complex. Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants for D-containing species show no evidence of electric field gradient perturbation and are consistent with the structures obtained from inertial data. The primary interaction between the two molecules is a 2.646(11) A hydrogen bond with acetylene as the donor and a 1,1-difluoroethylene fluorine as the acceptor that forms a 122.41(79) degrees C-Fcdots, three dots, centeredH angle. A secondary interaction between the acetylenic bond and the difluoroethylene hydrogen atom cis to the acceptor fluorine atom causes the hydrogen bond to deviate 53.25(24) degrees from linearity. Structural comparisons with the related complex, 1,1-difluoroethylene-hydrogen chloride [Z. Kisiel et al., J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 88, 3385 (1992)], suggest that the hydrogen bond in the acetylene complex is weaker, whereas comparisons with vinyl fluoride-acetylene [G. C. Cole and A. C. Legon, Chem. Phys. Lett. 369, 31 (2003)] indicate that the fluorine atoms in 1,1-difluoroethylene are less basic than the one in vinyl fluoride.     

Dynamic alignment of C2H4 investigated by using two linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulses

We have studied multielectron ionization and Coulomb explosion of C2H4 irradiated by 110 fs, 800 nm laser pulses at an intensity of approximately 10(15) W/cm2. Strong anisotropic angular distributions were observed for the atomic ions Cn+(n = 1-3). Based on the results of two crossed linearly polarized laser pulses, we conclude that such anisotropic angular distributions result from dynamic alignment, in which the rising edge of the laser pulses aligns the neutral C2H4 molecules along the laser polarization direction. The angular distribution of the exploding fragments, therefore, reflects the degree of the alignment of molecules before ionization. Using the same femtosecond laser with intensity below the ionization threshold, the alignment of C2H4 molecules was also observed.     

Two-body Coulomb explosion in methylacetylene in intense laser fields: double proton migration and proton/deuteron exchange

Two-body decomposition processes of methylacetylene (CH(3)CCH) and its isotopomer methyl-d(3)-acetylene (CD(3)CCH) in intense laser fields (790 nm, 40 fs, 5.0 × 10(13) W cm(-2)) are investigated by the coincidence momentum imaging (CMI). In methyl-d(3)-acetylene, a total of six decomposition pathways in which one of the C-C bonds is broken and a total of six pathways in which an atomic hydrogen ion (H(+) or D(+)) or a molecular hydrogen ion (H(2)(+), HD(+), D(3)(+), or HD(2)(+)) is ejected are identified. It is revealed from the analysis of the CMI data that the migration of two deuterons as well as the exchange between a proton and a deuteron occurs prior to the two-body decomposition of a doubly charged parent molecule.     

Synthesis, spectroscopic, electrochemical and Pb2+-binding studies of tetrathiafulvalene acetylene derivatives

A series of tetrathiafulvalene acetylene derivatives, [TTF-Ctriple bondC-A] [A=C6H4N(CH3)2-4 (1), C6H4OCH3-4 (2), C6H5 (3), C6H4F-4 (4), C6H4NO2-4 (5), C5H4N-2 (6), C5H4N-3 (7), and C5H4N-4 (8)], have been designed and synthesized to provide insight into the nature of the donor-acceptor interaction via a pi-conjugated triple bond. The X-ray crystal structure of [TTF-(Ctriple bondC)-C6H4OCH3-4] (2) reveals that the phenyl ring linked by acetylene is almost coplanar to the plane of TTF with a dihedral angle of 3.6 degrees. The strong intermolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonding was found to direct the molecular helical assemblies with a screw pitch of 5.148 A when viewed along the a-axis. Spectroscopic and electrochemical behaviors of the tetrathiafulvalene acetylene derivatives demonstrate that the TTF unit interacts with the electron-accepting group through the triple bond, thus leading to the intramolecular charge transfer. The pyridine-substituted TTF compounds 6-8 show remarkable sensing and coordinating properties toward Pb2+. Comparison of the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties and the calculation at the B3LYP/6-31G* level available in Gaussian 03 reveals that varying the bridged unit of the TTF-pi-A system from a double bond to a triple bond leads to positive shifts for the first and second oxidation potentials of the TTF moieties, while the extent of intramolecular charge transfer interactions through the pi-conjugated triple bond is smaller than that through the double bond.