Initial-site characterization of hydrogen migration following strong-field double-ionization of ethanol
ORAL
Abstract
Hydrogen migration in ethanol (CH3CH2OH) can originate from each of the three non-equivalent initial sites of the molecule, leading to hydrogen-rich fragments such as H3+, H2O+, H3O+, and CH4+. Following photofragmentation by intense ultrashort pulses, we measure the momenta of the dissociating fragments using a COLTRIMS technique. By combining measurements of a few different deuterium-tagged isotopologues of ethanol, we determine all the site-specific probabilities for H3+, H2O+, H3O+, and CH4+ ion compositions. The technique can be extended to other dynamical variables, such as the kinetic energy release, and to larger molecules. These measurements provide a new benchmark for molecular dynamics calculations.
*Augustana University personnel are supported by NSF grant PHYS-2011864. J.R. Macdonald Laboratory personnel and equipment are supported by U.S. Department of Energy grant DE-FG02-86ER13491.
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Presenters
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Eleanor Weckwerth
- Augustana University