Real-time observation of ground state proton transfer: a model study

We propose a femtosecond dump-probe photoelectron spectroscopy scheme for the real-time observation of ground state proton transfer. Feasibility of such a scheme is investigated with quantum wavepacket dynamics on a model potential. Formation of a proton transfer wavepacket by dumping from an eigenstate or from a delocalized mixture of eigenstates is discussed. Characteristic features of proton transfer observed in the time-dependent ion signal and photoelectron kinetic energy spectra are shown, along with a method of extracting the signals from a background unrelated to proton transfer. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.