This project, part of the Physical Chemistry Program, deals with the reaction dynamics of polyatomic ions which have been prepared with excitation in selected vibrational modes. The goal of the project is to develop an understanding of the effects of different modes of nuclear motion on reactivity in polyatomic systems. A novel flexible ion guide will be constructed which avoids the usual problems and expense associated with conventional instruments in which the entire detector assembly is rotated. The reagent ions will be prepared by multiphoton ionization through Rydberg intermediate states. Integral cross section measurements will be used to survey new reactive systems, and to determine accurate vibrational and collision energy dependences and branching ratios.
