Photodissociation Dynamics of OCS near 150 nm: The S(1SJ=0) and S(3PJ=2,1,0) Product Channels

Vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation dynamics of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) was investigated by using the time-sliced velocity map ion imaging technique. Images of the S(S-1(J=0)) and S(P-3(J=2,1,0)) photofragments formed in the OCS photodissociation were acquired at six photolysis wavelengths from 147.24 to 156.48 nm. Vibrational states of the CO coproducts were partially resolved and identified in the images. Two main dissociation product channels, namely, the spin-allowed S(S-1(J=0)) + CO(X-1 Sigma(+)(g)) and spin-forbidden S(P-3(J=2,1,0)) + CO(X-1 Sigma(+)(g)), were observed. At each photolysis wavelength, the total kinetic energy releases, the relative population of different CO vibrational states, and the anisotropic parameters were derived. Variations of the relative population were noticed between different spin-orbit states of the S(P-3(J)) channel. It was found that the S(S-1(J=0)) + CO(X-1 Sigma(+)(g)) channel is dominated by the (1)Sigma(+) <- (1)Sigma(+) parallel transition of OCS. Interestingly, two types of anisotropic parameters are found at different photolysis wavelengths for the spin-forbidden S(P-3(J=2,1,0)) + CO(X-1 Sigma(+)(g)) product channel. The anisotropic parameters at 147.24 and 150.70 nm are significantly smaller than at the other four photolysis wavelengths. This phenomenon indicates two different nonadiabatic pathways are responsible for the spin-forbidden channels, which is consistent with the barrier structure in the exit channel of one of the triplet states.