Quantum interferences in the Ba••• FCH3(B)+hv→BaF+CH3 intracluster reaction

The laser-induced intracluster (Ba...FCH3) + hv --> BaF* (Ba*) + CH3 (CH3F) bimolecular reaction has been investigated in the 17780-18750 cm(-1) energy range, corresponding to the electronic B-state of the Ba...FCH3 molecule. Both the photodepletion action spectrum and the action spectra of the reactive BaF and the non-reactive Ba photofragmentation channels were measured. The reaction probabilities of the two channels show an oscillatory behaviour with opposite phase. The oscillations in the energy dependence of both reactive and non-reactive probabilities for the cluster photofragmentation have been attributed to quantal interferences between the two photodissociation channels. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.