Imaging the 1+1 Two-Photon Dissociation Dynamics of Br₂⁺ in a Cold Ion Beam

The 1+1 two-photon dissociation dynamics of mass-selected ⁷⁹Br₂⁺ has been studied in acold ion beam using a cryogenic cylindrical ion trap velocity map imaging spectrometer. The quartet 1⁴Σ^-_u,3/2 state of ⁷⁹Br₂⁺ is employed as an intermediate state to initiate resonance enhanced two-photon excitation to high-lying dissociative states in the 4.0-5.0 eV energy region above the ground rovibronic state. Total kinetic energy release (TKER) and the twodimensional recoiling velocity distributions of fragmented ⁷⁹Br⁺ ions are measured using the technique of DC-slice velocity map imaging. Branching ratios for individual state-resolved product channels are determined from the TKER spectra. The measured photofragment angular distributions indicate that the dissociation of ⁷⁹Br₂⁺ occurs in dissociative Ω=3/2 state via ΔΩ=0 parallel transition from the 1⁴Σ^-_u,3/2 intermediate state. Due to the considerable spin-orbit coupling effects in the excited states of ⁷⁹Br₂⁺, higher-lying dissociative quartet states are likely responsible for the observed photodissociation processes.