Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.121, No.20, 3858-3863, 2017
Superexcited State Dynamics of OCS: An Experimental Identification of Three Competing Decay Channels among Autoionization, Internal Conversion, and Neutral Predissociation
The 7s sigma and 6p sigma superexcited Rydberg states of OCS belonging to series converging onto the (B) over tilde (2)Sigma(+) ionic limit have been successfully prepared by three-photon UV excitation, and their ensuing competing relaxation processes have been probed by a time-delayed IR ionization pulse. The time profiles of S+ ions, which encode their fragmentation mechanism, are only observable at high pump intensities, thus providing unique experimental identification of the neutral predissociation channel producing S* atoms. Benefiting from this feature and by comparison with the time behavior of OCS+ ions, three competing relaxation channels are identified: autoionization associated with both (X) over tilde (II)-I-2 and (A) over tilde (II)-I-2 ionic states; internal conversion to isoenergetic R-A states, the deactivation of which manifests as a picosecond decay in the time profile of OCS+ ions; picosecond neutral predissociation appearing as a nondecaying plateau in the time profiles of S+ ions.