Multiphoton Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Other Developments in UV Laser Chemistry

Summary

This report deals with three topics, namely UV laser-induced multiphoton ionization of polyatomic molecules, collision pair excitation by high power pulsed UV lasers and stimulated emission processes produced in the products of iron carbonyl UV laser photolysis. The results under the first heading are based on work by J.P. Reilly et al. and P. Hering et al., those for collision pair excitation on work by H.P. Grieneisen et al. while the last topic relates to experiments by S.H. Bauer, J. Krasinski et al. All these authors are associated with our laboratory or held various guest appointments here during the years 1979 and 1980. The results show that high power ultraviolet lasers do not just provide a continuation in the study of molecular processes along the lines of traditional photochemistry but yield novel and unexpected results.