NON-ADIABATIC PHOTODISSOCIATION DYNAMICS OF BRCL

Nozzle-cooled BrCl was excited with tunable laser radiation at selected wavelengths between 389 and 500 nm. The chlorine atomic fragments in their Cl*(P-2(1/2)) and Cl(P-2(3/2)) State were stated-selectively probed by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. The branching ratio (Cl*/(Cl + Cl*)) was measured as a function of the excitation wavelength. The relative Cl* yield reaches a maximum at around lambda(phot) = 460 nm. Decomposition of these branching ratios into Cl and Cl* photofragment yield spectra provides insight into the BrCl B-state (II)-I-3(0(+)) non-adiabatic dissociation dynamics. Our results suggest that the dissociation mechanism involves non-adiabatic transitions among 0(+) pial energy curves.