CO2 bath molecules scattered into J = 72 of the 00(0)0 vibrational state at short times after 248 or 266 nm UV excitation of pyrazine are probed using high resolution time resolved IR diode laser spectroscopy as a function of UV laser fluence from similar to 3 to 80 mJ/cm(2). The implications of pyrazine photodissociation for the interpretation of these collisional energy transfer experiments are considered. Specifically, the possibility that translationally hot HCN resulting from pyrazine dissociation may be the source of excitation for collisions that impart a large amount of rotational and translational energy to CO2 molecules is examined. Transient absorption measurements probing rotationally and translationally excited CO2 molecules produced following excitation of pyrazine are analyzed within the context of a kinetic scheme incorporating pyrazine photodissociation, as well as excitation of CO2 by both translationally hot HCN and vibrationally excited pyrazine. This analysis indicates that vibrationally hot pyrazine, which has sufficient energy to dissociate, is the source of excitation in collisions imparting large amounts of rotational and translational energy to CO2. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)00410-4].