Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram

Deactivation Processes: Jablonski Diagram

Luminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed energy, is a process that involves the interaction of molecules with light. The energy-level diagram, or Jablonski diagram, is a graphical representation of these interactions, illustrating the various states and transitions a molecule can undergo. In a typical Jablonski diagram, the lowest horizontal line represents the ground-state energy of the molecule, which is usually a singlet state. This state represents the energies...

The de Broglie Wavelength

The de Broglie Wavelength

In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...

UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions

UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions

In Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation is used to probe the electronic structure of molecules. This technique provides insights into molecular electronic transitions, particularly the movement of electrons between different molecular orbitals. Radiation is absorbed if the energy of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the molecule is precisely equal to the energy difference between the excited and ground states. During this process,...

Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry

Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry

The molecular ion peak of a molecule in the mass spectrum provides vital information for molecular identification. However, conventional electron impact ionization can lead to the rapid dissociation of some molecular ions before they reach the detector. A milder ionization method is required to increase the lifetime of such ionized analyte molecules. Chemical ionization (CI) is a gas-phase protonation reaction useful for mass-analyzing analyte molecules that are easily protonated to yield the...

Mass Spectrum: Interpretation

Mass Spectrum: Interpretation

An unknown compound can be established by identifying the molecular ion peak in the mass spectrum. The molecular ion peak is often weak or absent due to the predominance of fragmentation in high-energy electron beams. In such cases, a soft-energy electron beam can be used to scan the spectrum to enhance the intensity of the molecular ion peak. Additionally, chemical ionization, field ionization, and desorption ionization spectra are used to obtain a relatively intense molecular ion peak.To...

Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission

Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission

Molecules possess discrete energy levels called quantum states. Unlike atoms, which have simpler energy levels, molecules possess additional rotational and vibrational energy levels. Each energy level is separated by an energy gap, with the gaps between adjacent electronic, vibrational, and rotational levels varying significantly. The three types of energy levels in a diatomic molecule are shown in Figure 1.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

How "Soft" Are Your Gas Mixtures? Effects of Modifier Gas Types on the Dissociation of Labile Ions in Differential Mobility Spectrometry.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2026

Same author

Size-Selective CO<sub>2</sub> Activation at Rhodium Cluster Anions.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

Unveiling Ciprofloxacin Protonation Isomers: an Integrated Approach with Mass Spectrometry, Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Infrared Ion Spectroscopy.

Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·2026

Same author

Separating <i>O</i>-desmethylvenlafaxine and tramadol enantiomers using two-dimensional chiral LC × DMS mass spectrometry.

The Analyst·2026

Same author

The product of NH<sub>3</sub> loss from gas phase protonated tyrosine.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026

Same author

Structure, spectra, and intracluster chemistry of gas-phase platinum nitrosyl ion-molecule complexes.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F⁻

Published on: July 27, 2018

Communication: imaging wavefunctions in dissociative photoionization.

W Scott Hopkins¹, Stuart R Mackenzie

¹Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Chemical Physics

|September 8, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Investigating xenon dimer excited states reveals detailed potential energy curves and electronic character evolution. This study uses velocity map imaging to observe nodal structures in photodissociation dynamics.

More Related Videos

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization

Published on: August 6, 2018

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers

Published on: August 18, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F⁻

Published on: July 27, 2018

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization

Published on: August 6, 2018

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers

Published on: August 18, 2017

Area of Science:

Physical Chemistry
Atomic and Molecular Physics
Chemical Physics

Background:

Understanding the dynamics of excited electronic states in molecular dimers is crucial for predicting chemical reactivity and energy transfer processes.
The xenon dimer (Xe2) serves as a model system for studying van der Waals interactions and complex electronic structures.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the dissociative ionization dynamics of excited electronic states of the xenon dimer (Xe2).
To obtain precise information on the Xe2(+) potential energy curve and the evolution of electronic character with internuclear separation.
To demonstrate the reflection principle in photodissociation using velocity map imaging.

Main Methods:

Utilizing a one-color, (2+1) resonant excitation scheme to excite and ionize specific vibrational levels of the Xe2 6p Rydberg state.
Employing velocity map imaging (VMI) to detect and analyze the kinetic energy and angular distributions of Xe(+) fragments.
Applying fitting procedures to the observed kinetic energy distributions to determine the potential energy curve.

Main Results:

Observed the full nodal structure of Rydberg state wavefunctions in Xe(+) kinetic energy distributions, exemplifying the reflection principle.
Obtained precise data on the Xe2(+) I(1/2g) potential energy curve, showing excellent agreement with prior photoelectron imaging studies.
Determined the evolution of electronic character of the ionic state with internuclear separation (R) over a wide range (ΔR > 0.75 Å).

Conclusions:

The study provides a detailed understanding of dissociative ionization dynamics in excited Xe2.
Velocity map imaging offers a powerful method to probe molecular potentials and wavefunctions at fixed excitation energy.
The findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of van der Waals interactions and electronic state dynamics in molecular systems.