Time resolved HF vibrational fluorescence from the IR photodissociation of SF6/H2 mixtures

Time resolved measurements of HF spontaneous emission, following the irradiation of SF₆/H₂ mixtures with the focused output from a CO₂ TEA laser, are reported. Our results indicate that F atoms are produced directly by the photodissociation process, and that these atoms have a recoil energy which is ≤500 cm^?1, and varies only slightly with the radiation intensity. Further, our results show a linear dependence of fluorescence intensity with laser energy, indicating that processes other than direct photodissociation may play a significant role in the ultimate fate of species excited by IR collisionless multiple photon absorption.