Femtosecond photodissociation dynamics of excited-state SO2

Photodissociation dynamics of SO2 were investigated employing a multiphoton pump-probe excitation technique (312 nm pump/624 nm probe), with evidence supporting the processes being initiated through the (E) over tilde state. The pump-probe optical transient for the SO2 species was fit to a single-exponential decay, yielding a time of 271 +/- 8 fs. Subsequent decay products of SO and S were also investigated and mathematically fit to determine formation and/or decay time dynamics.