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Following the photoexcitation of argon cluster ions, Ar+n for n in the range 4–25, kinetic energy release measurements have been undertaken on the fragments using two quite separate techniques. For Ar+4–Ar+6, fragment ion kinetic energy spectra were recorded at 532 nm in a crossed beam apparatus as a function of the angle of polarization of the laser radiation with respect to the incident ion beam. Only Ar+ from Ar+4 was observed to exhibit a polarization dependence together with a comparatively high kinetic energy release. The principal fragment ion Ar+2 was found both to emerge with a low kinetic energy release and to display no dependence on the angle of polarization of the radiation. In a second series of experiments, mass and kinetic energy resolved cluster ions were photodissociated in the entrance to a time-of-flight (TOF) device of variable length. The subsequent deflection of all ions allowed for time resolved measurements to be undertaken on the neutral photofragments. Following the absorption of a photon, all cluster ions up to Ar+25 were found to eject one/two neutral atoms with comparatively high kinetic energies. Any remaining internal energy appears to be dissipated through the loss of further neutral atoms with low kinetic energies. An analysis of the laser polarization dependence of these events, shows that those atoms identified as having high kinetic energies are ejected on a time scale which is short compared with the rotation period of a cluster (≂10 ps). These experimental observations are consistent with the results of recent molecular dynamics simulations of excited states in rare gas clusters by Landman, Jortner, and co-workers [J. Phys. Chem. 91, 4890 (1987); J. Chem. Phys. 88, 4273 (1988)]. Kinetic energy releases calculated from the TOF spectra exhibit marked fluctuations as a function of cluster size, with Ar+15 showing a minimum and Ar+19 a maximum. It is suggested that such behavior is part of a dynamic response to changes in structure as the cluster ions increase in size. A qualitative explanation is provided through the assumption that the cluster ions take the form of solvated Ar+2 structures. Considerations of the energy available from the photon and the relative contribution each TOF feature makes to the total signal, places an upper limit of two as the number of high kinetic energy atoms ejected by the larger cluster ions.

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A detailed study has been undertaken on the infrared photofragmentation of SF 6 (NO); cluster ions. A line-tuneable CO 2 laser has been used to excite the J)3 vibrational mode of the SF 6 molecule which is followed by the observation of three separate fragmentation channels: -SF(j, -NO, and -2NO. The relative intensities of the fragments are found to be sensitive to the sign of the charge on the ion, the cluster size, and whether n is either odd or even. Within clusters of the same charge, the most marked transitions in fragmentation pattern are found between odd-and even-sized cluster ions, with the decay channels favoring those processes which lead to the formation of even electron ions. There are also large differences in fragmentation pattern between the negatively and positively charged ions. A summation of fragment ion intensities as a function of laser wavelength is used to determine infrared absorption profiles and their shapes confirm a pronounced difference in behavior between SF 6 (NO); and SF 6 (NO);. The results for the positively charged ions are interpreted in terms of a central (NO): core which serves to fix the position of the SF 6 molecule via an attractive ion-induced dipole interaction. In contrast, observations on the negatively charged ions, suggest that the interaction between the excess electron and the SF 6 is predominantly repulsive and also sufficiently 'diffuse as to keep the molecule comparatively mobile even in large cluster ions. It is suggested that the excess electron in SF 6 (NO); may occupy a surface state and that the state has associated with it approximately 15 NO molecules.

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