DETECTION OF NITROGEN-ATOMS PRODUCED BY PREDISSOCIATION OF SUPEREXCITED RYDBERG STATES OF NO

Predissociation processes of superexcited Rydberg states (v = 1, n = 8 - 17, l = s, p and f) of the NO molecule have been investigated by detecting the fragment nitrogen atom with a resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) technique. As a result, the N (2D) production predicted by theoretical calculations has been confirmed. Moreover, the unexpected generation of N (4S) has also been observed. Yields of the fragment atoms are strongly dependent on both the principal and angular momentum quantum numbers of the Rydberg electron.