Rovibrational state specific scattering distributions of the O(1D) + CD4 → OD + CD3 (v1, v2, N) reaction

Abstract

The rovibrational state distributions and state-resolved scattering distributions of CD₃ radicals produced by the reaction O(¹D) + CD₄ were investigated by crossed molecular beam ion imaging. The rotational structure of the resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectrum of CD₃ in the ground vibrational state indicates that the low K rotational states of CD₃ radicals are preferentially populated. The state-resolved scattering distributions of CD₃ (v = 0) and those of the excited states of the out-of-plane bending (v₂) mode exhibit a structureless forward-scattering component due to an insertion pathway and a structured backward-scattering component due to an abstraction path. The scattering distributions of CD₃ in the excited state of the C–D symmetric stretch (v₁) do not exhibit the abstraction component. The scattering distribution of the abstraction component gradually extends in the forward direction with increasing intensity as the v₂ vibration becomes more strongly excited. This suggests that abstraction with a larger impact parameter results in stronger excitation of v₂.