Photofragment Translational Spectroscopy

Abstract

Photofragment translational spectroscopy (PTS) is a technique for studying the mechanisms and the dynamics of photodissociation processes under collision-free conditions. After a brief introduction to the methodology of PTS, a high-performance apparatus developed in our laboratory is described. Various applications are then presented to demonstrate the versatility of this technique. Examples include studies of the photodissociation dynamics of small molecules and the investigation of decomposition mechanisms in atmospherically important molecules.