DISSOCIATION DYNAMICS OF HCN(DCN) FOLLOWING PHOTOEXCITATION AT 121.6 NM

The technique of H(D) atom photofragment translational spectroscopy has been applied to the photodissociation of HCN(DCN) at 121.6 nm. Analyses of the H(D) atom time-of-flight spectra reveal the partner CN fragment to be formed predominantly in its A 2-PI excited electronic state. Branching into the H/D + CN (B 2-SIGMA+) product channel accounts for a few percent of the total fragment yield, but we discern no evidence for any contribution from the product channel yielding H/D atoms in conjunction with ground state CN(X 2-SIGMA+) fragments. The majority of the CN (A) fragments are formed in their v' = 0 level but with a markedly bimodal rotational state population distribution. This bimodality has been rationalized in the light of the available information regarding the form of the potential energy surface of the excited 1-PI state of HCN(DCN) populated following photoexcitation at 121.6 nm.