Imaging multiphoton ionization and dissociation of rotationally warm CO via the B+Σ1 and EΠ1 electronic states.

Pathways for formation of C+ and O+ ions when applying (2 + 1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of CO via the B1Σ+ and E1Π electronic states are characterized with the velocity map imaging technique. By employing an unskimmed pulsed valve, it was possible to obtain sharp images for a wide range of initial CO J-states. Most of the atomic ion production pathways could be assigned as one- or two-photon dissociation of a series of vibrational levels of the CO+ X2Σ+ and A2Π states. Large enhancements in dissociation of particular CO+ vibrational states in these progressions could be accurately assigned to accidental resonances of the REMPI laser with CO+ X2Σ+-B2Σ+ transitions.