SO(X 3Σ−) product energy disposal in the desulfurization reaction of thiirane with O(3P) atoms

The SO(X 3Σ−) product energy disposal in the desulfurization reaction of thiirane (C2H4S) with O(3P) atom has been studied by probing its rovibrational state distributions via laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy on the B 3Σ− −X3Σ− transition. The O(3P) atom was produced by 351 nm photolysis of NO2. The nascent SO(X 3Σ−) product vibrational state distribution was found to be inverted with a maximum at v″ = 1 and measurable population was detected up to v″ = 8. The rotational state distributions of SO(X 3Σ−, v″ = 1/2–5) produced within two gas kinetic collisions can be characterized by an average rotational temperature, TR = 1163 ± 311 K. The observed SO(X 3Σ−) internal energy accounts for 16% of the total energy available to the products. No evidence for the production of other species, e.g. OH, was observed. The non-statistical energy distribution in SO(X 3Σ−) is consistent with an abstraction mechanism for the title reaction.