Photodissociation of HF in ArnHF (n=1-14,54) van der Waals clusters: Effects of the solvent cluster size on the solute fragmentation dynamics

Thomas Schröder, Reinhard Schinke, Suyan Liu, Zlatko Bačić, Jules W. Moskowitz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A comprehensive study of the photodissociation of HF in ArnHF van der Waals clusters, with n=1-14,54, for an ultrashort δ(t)-pulse excitation, is presented. The emphasis is on the dependence of the photodissociation dynamics of the HF solute molecule on the size and geometry of the Arn solvent cluster. This cluster size range encompasses formation and closing of the first solvation shell, which occurs for n=12, the addition of the complete second solvent layer (n=54), as well as the change of the HF location in the cluster, from a surface site for n≤8 to the interior of a cage for n≥9 clusters. Evolution of the fragmentation dynamics is revealed by following how the H-atom kinetic energy and angular distributions, the survival probability, and cluster fragmentation patterns change as a function of the cluster size and structure. Classical trajectories are used to simulate the photodissociation dynamics. The probability distributions of the initial coordinates and momenta of the H and F atom are defined by accurate quantum five-dimensional eigenstates of the coupled, very anharmonic large amplitude intermolecular vibrations of HF in the cluster. All aspects of the dissociation process studied here are found to exhibit a strong dependence on the size and geometry of the ArnHF clusters.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9228-9241
Number of pages14
JournalThe Journal of Chemical Physics
Volume103
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - 1995

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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