Elastic, Inelastic, and Photofragment Scattering from Crossed Molecular Beams

Author: Reid, Brian Paul

Year: 1986

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Sparks, Randal K.

Committee Members: Beauchamp, Jesse L.; Sparks, Randal K.; Bercaw, John E.; Kuppermann, Aron; Weitekamp, Daniel P.

Option: Chemistry

DOI: 10.7907/xz77-2x37

Abstract

Three sets of crossed molecular beam scattering experiments are described. In the first experiment, total differential cross sections are measured for collisions between two methane molecules. Treating the scattering as elastic, these cross sections are used to determine an isotropic intermolecular potential energy function for the methane-methane system. The second experiment involves the measurement of total differential cross sections and time-of-flight spectra for neon-chlorine scattering. These data are modeled using the infinite order sudden approximation for rotationally inelastic scattering, and an anisotropic potential function for neon-chlorine is determined. In the third experiment, the angular and time-of-flight distributions for the products of the three-body photofragmentation of 1,2-diiodotetrafluoroethane at 266 nm are measured. These data are analyzed to determine the product translational energy distributions.

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