Rotational quantum state dependent alternations in the angular momentum polarization of O2(a1Δg) formed in the UV photodissociation of O3

REMPI-TOF studies of the UV photodissociation of O3 at 270 nm have allowed the translational anisotropy and angular momentum polarization of the O2(a1Δg) molecular photofragment to be determined. Alignment and orientation moments have been measured for O2(a1Δg, v = 0) using a selection of rotational transitions probing values of J = 15–27 in the (1,0) and (2,0) bands of the highly perturbed (2 + 1) d1Πg ←← a1Δg REMPI spectrum. The fragments exhibit the anisotropic vector correlations expected from a prompt dissociation via the 1B2 ← 1A1 transition. However, we observe that the moments describing angular momentum polarization of odd J states are consistently lower in magnitude than those of even J states, resulting in a clear alternation in the moments observed across a rotational branch.