Femtosecond Resolving Photodissociation Dynamics of the SO2 Molecule

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the ultrafast photodissociation dynamics of the SO2 molecule induced by intense ultrashort laser pulses in a pump-probe scheme. Different three-body fragmentation pathways are discriminated using the time-dependent kinetic energy release spectrum with femtosecond time resolution. A nontrivial three-body fragmentation pathway, denoted as the bonding pathway, is unraveled, in which an intermediate fast rotating O-2 molecule is formed before complete fragmentation. The ultrafast chemical bond rearrangement after electron release is tracked in real time. The bonding pathway generally exists in the three-body fragmentation processes induced by strong laser fields of different wavelengths, which is observed in infrared, ultraviolet, and mixed two-color cases. Our findings are significant for understanding the photon-induced ultrafast processes of the SO2 molecule in atmospheric chemistry.