Dissociation of NH3 to electronic ground-state fragments by high-intensity CO2 laser radiation

Abstract The dissociation of NH 3 into electronic ground-state fragments NH 2 ( 2 B 1 ) + H by high-intensity CO 2 laser radiation has been observed under essentially collision free conditions and as a function of NH 3 pressure, using laser fluorescence excitation for the NH 2 detection. Luminescence from excited NH 2 ( 2 A 1 ) produced directly by the CO 2 laser has also been observed. The relative yield of NH 2 ( 2 A 1 ) is estimated to be smaller than that of NH 2 ( 2 B 1 ) by several orders of magnitude.