Reactions induced in (CF3I)n clusters by femtosecond UV laser pulses

The excitation and ionization of CF3I molecules and their clusters by femtosecond UV laser pulses is studied. It is concluded that the types of excitation of free CF3I molecules and their clusters by femtosecond UV laser pulses are different. The composition and kinetic energy of ion products observed upon the ionization of (CF3I)n clusters by femtosecond pulses are found to differ considerably from those obtained upon ionization by nanosecond pulses. It is shown that the molecular I2+ ion is produced in reactions induced in (CF3I)n clusters by UV radiation. Using the pump-probe method, we found the two channels of producing I2+ ions with characteristic times τ1 ≈ 1 ps and τ2 ≈ 7 ps. A model of the reactions under study proposed in the paper is consistent with our experimental results.