Dissociative photodetachment of SO2·SO2−: evidence for the S–O bound dimer

Studies of the dynamics of the dissociative photodetachment of (SO2)2− reveal a strong preference in translational energy partitioning that can be related to the structure of (SO2)2− using a simple impulse model. An anisotropic product angular distribution was also observed, indicative of a rapid dissociation on a repulsive potential energy surface. Over a wide range of available energies the translational energy distributions for this DPD process peak at ≈36% of the available energy, consistent with the soft-bond impulse model prediction that 33% of the available energy would appear in translation for an OSO–SO2 geometry (S–O bound) dimer anion.