Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) detection or hot atom reaction product internal energy distributions

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) is being utilized to investigate the rovibrational energy distributions produced by reactive and nonreactive collisions of translationally hot atoms with simple molecules. Translationally hot H atoms are produced by ArF laser photolysis of HBr. Using CARS we have monitored, in a state-specific and time-resolved manner, rotational excitation of HBr (v = 0), vibrational excitation of HBr and H2, rovibrational excitation of H2 produced by the reaction H + HBr → H2 + Br, and Br atom production by photolysis of HBr