 Photofragment-ion imaging

Photofragment-ion imaging detects fragment velocities by ionizing neutral products and mapping their motion onto a position-sensitive detector using an electric field. In a velocity-mapping implementation, the image radius measures transverse speed under fixed lens settings. Selecting an arrival-time slice helps extract the central plane of the three-dimensional distribution. Species identification and electronic quantum state selection are essential for turning a radius into a particular dissociation threshold.

Photofragment-ion imaging is a powerful experimental technique used in spectroscopy and chemical physics to study the dynamics of molecular fragmentation processes. This method allows researchers to visualize and analyze the products of a photodissociation event—where a molecule absorbs light energy and breaks apart into smaller fragments.