Photodissociation dynamics of acetone at 193 nm: photofragment internal and translational energy distributions

The photofragment internal and translational energy distributions resulting from the 193 nm photolysis of acetone have been measured. Vacuum-ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence was used to probe the CO fragment, and multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to probe the CH3. A Boltzmann distribution was observed to fit each degree of freedom with the following characteristic temperatures: CO: Tvib =2700 K, Trot =3000 K, Ttrans =3000 K; CH3: Tvib =800 K, Trot =500 K, Ttrans =3500 K. No evidence was found for two distinct CH3 populations, as might be characteristic of a stepwise reaction. Energy partitioning between the fragments was fit well by a simple impulsive model in which the available energy is divided equally between the two dissociating C–C bonds, the two bonds cleaving in rapid succession on a time scale short enough to allow little redistribution of energy into the methyl degrees of freedom.