Ultrafast photodissociation dynamics of acetone excited by femtosecond 155 nm laser pulses

In a femtosecond pump–probe experiment, the ultrafast photodissociation of the acetone molecule has been studied after excitation of a high-lying Rydberg state by absorption of a single 8.0 eV photon. The decay of the acetone with a time constant of 330±40 fs leads to the acetyl radical in a long-lived state (>10 ps). A tentative assignment of the excited Rydberg state is discussed.