Excitation laser fluence effects on the Ba ... FCH₃ + hv τ BaF + CH₃ intracluster reaction

In this work, results on the Ba...FCH₃ + hv → BaF (Ba^*) + CH₃ (CH₃F) reaction obtained under high laser field conditions are reported. We have found that the two-photodissociation channel yields, i.e. the reactive BaF and non-reactive Ba^* products, exhibited opposite behaviour depending upon the laser fluence. Whereas the BaF yield rises as the laser fluence is increased, the Ba^* yield decreases over the same laser fluence range. In other words, the product (Ba^*)/(BaF) branching ratio changes significantly from low to high laser fluence in such a way that the (photoinitiated) Ba...FCH₃ → BaF + CH₃ reaction may be controlled by changing the intensity of the excitation laser field.