The reaction of ground-state carbon atoms with acetylene was studied under single-collision conditions in crossed beam experiments to investigate the chemical dynamics of forming cyclic and linear C3H isomers (c-C3H and l-C3H, respectively) in interstellar environments via an atom-neutral reaction. Combined state-of-the-art ab initio calculations and experimental identification of the carbon-hydrogen exchange channel to both isomers classify this reaction as an important alternative to ion-molecule encounters to synthesize C3H radicals in the interstellar medium. These findings strongly correlate with astronomical observations and explain a higher [c-C3H]/[l-C3H] ratio in the dark cloud TMC-1 than in the carbon star IRC+10216.

The dissociation of nitromethane following the excitation of the π* ← π transition at 193 nm has been investigated by two independent and complementary techniques, product emission spectroscopy and molecular beam photofragment translational energy spectroscopy. The primary process is shown to be cleavage of the C–N bond to yield CH3 and NO2 radicals. The translational energy distribution for this chemical process indicates that there are two distinct mechanisms by which CH3 and NO2 radicals are produced. The dominant mechanism releasing a relatively large fraction of the total available energy to translation probably gives NO2 radicals in a vibrationally excited 2B2 state. When dissociated, other nitroalkanes exhibit the same emission spectrum as CH3NO2, suggesting little transfer of energy from the excited NO2 group to the alkyl group during dissociation for the dominant mechanism. This conclusion is supported by the apparent loss of the slow NO2 product in the molecular beam studies to unimolecular dissociation to NO+O, which will occur for NO2 with 72 kcal/mol or more internal energy. Evidence is presented which suggests that the NO2 produced via the minor mechanism, which releases a smaller fraction of the available energy to translation, has a large cross section for absorbing an additional photon via a parallel transition and dissociating to NO+O.

At the Advanced Light Source an undulator beamline, with an energy range from 6 to 30 eV, has been constructed for chemical dynamics experiments. The higher harmonics of the undulator are suppressed by a novel, windowless gas filter. In one branchline high-flux, 2% bandwidth radiation is directed toward an end station for photodissociation and crossed molecular-beam experiments. A photon flux of 10 16 photon/s has been measured at this end station. In a second branchline a 6.65 m off-plane Eagle monochromator delivers narrow bandwidth radiation to an end station for photoionoization studies. At this second end station a peak flux of 3 ϫ 10 11 was observed for 25 000 resolving power. This monochromator has achieved a resolving power of 70 000 using a 4800 grooves/mm grating, one of the highest resolving powers obtained by a vacuum ultraviolet monochromator.

The reaction between ground-state carbon atoms, C(3Pj), and ethylene, C2H4(X1Ag), was studied at average collision energies of 17.1 and 38.3 kJmol−1 using the crossed molecular beams technique. Product angular distributions and time-of-flight spectra of m/e=39 were recorded. Forward-convolution fitting of the results yields a maximum energy release as well as angular distributions consistent with the formation of the propargyl radical in its X2B2 state. Reaction dynamics inferred from the experimental data indicate two microchannels, both initiated by attack of the carbon atom to the π-orbital of the ethylene molecule via a loose, reactant like transition state located at the centrifugal barrier. Following Cs symmetry on the ground state 3A″ surface, the initially formed triplet cyclopropylidene complex rotates in a plane roughly perpendicular to the total angular momentum vector around its C-axis, undergoes ring opening to triplet allene, and decomposes via hydrogen emission through a tight transition state to the propargyl radical. The initial and final orbital angular momenta L and L′ are weakly coupled and result in an isotropic center-of-mass angular distribution. A second microchannel arises from A-like rotations of the cyclopropylidene complex, followed by ring opening and H-atom elimination. In this case, a strong L-L′ correlation leads to a forward-scattered center-of-mass angular distribution. The explicit identification of C3H3 under single collision conditions represents a single, one-step mechanism to build up hydrocarbon radicals. Our findings strongly demand incorporation of distinct product isomers of carbon atom-neutral reactions in reaction networks simulating chemistry in combustion processes, the interstellar medium, as well as in outflows of carbon stars, and open the search for the hitherto unobserved interstellar propargyl radical.

Angle resolved time of flight (TOF) measurements of the fragments produced when allene is photolyzed at 193 nm are described. The two primary processes that have been identified from these measurements are the H+C3H3 and the H2+C3H2 channels. The quantum yields for these first steps are 0.89 and 0.11, respectively. Subsequent photolysis of the C3H3 radical produces H2+C3H, C3H2+H, and C2H2+CH, while the C3H2 produces C3+H2, C2H+CH, and C2H2+C. The translational energy distributions for each one of these steps have been derived using the forward convolution technique. These energy distributions reveal the exit barriers and other constraints on the potential energy surfaces that lead to the above stated products.

The dynamics of the carbonium ion (CH(5)(+)), a highly reactive intermediate with no equilibrium structure, was studied by measuring the infrared spectra for internally cold CH(5)(+)(H(2))n(n = 1, 2, 3) stored in an ion trap. First-principle molecular dynamics methods were used to directly simulate the internal motion for these ionic complexes. The combined experimental and theoretical efforts substantiated the anticipated scrambling motion in the CH(5)(+) core and revealed the effect of the solvent molecular hydrogen in slowing down the scrambling. The results indicate the feasibility of using solvent molecules to stabilize the floppy CH(5)(+) ion in order to make it amenable to spectroscopic study.

The reaction between ground state carbon atoms and propylene, C3H6, was studied at average collision energies of 23.3 and 45.0 kJ mol−1 using the crossed molecular beam technique. Product angular distributions and time-of-flight spectra of C4H5 at m/e=53 were recorded. Forward-convolution fitting of the data yields a maximum energy release as well as angular distributions consistent with the formation of methylpropargyl radicals. Reaction dynamics inferred from the experimental results suggest that the reaction proceeds on the lowest A3 surface via an initial addition of the carbon atom to the π-orbital to form a triplet methylcyclopropylidene collision complex followed by ring opening to triplet 1,2-butadiene. Within 0.3–0.6 ps, 1,2-butadiene decomposes through carbon–hydrogen bond rupture to atomic hydrogen and methylpropargyl radicals. The explicit identification of C4H5 under single collision conditions represents a further example of a carbon–hydrogen exchange in reactions of ground state carbon with unsaturated hydrocarbons. This versatile machine represents an alternative pathway to build up unsaturated hydrocarbon chains in combustion processes, chemical vapor deposition, and in the interstellar medium.

We present here a phenomenological model calculation that exhibits the realistic qualitative behavior of multiphoton excitation and dissociation of polyatomic•molecules. It is also used to show that at least theoretically multiphoton excitation of molecule's is not equivalent to thermal heating.