Determination Of The V-J Vector Correlation In The Photodissociation Of Nitrosobenzene At 305 Nm

The 305 nm photofragmentation dynamics of nitrosobenzene was measured using velocity-mapped ion imaging with polarized 1+1(') resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization probing of the NO (X, v(')=0) fragment. The product recoil energy and angular distributions of selected rotational states of NO (X (2)Pi(1/2,3/2)) products have been measured. The recoil anisotropy of the NO photofragment is very small with beta(2)(0)(20)=0.03. The v-j vector correlation of NO shows a preference for v vertical bar vertical bar j with an average value of beta(0)(0)(22)=+0.15 over the transitions studied. A mechanism involving dissociation from the ground state is used to explain the unusual propellerlike trajectory of the nascent NO.