Electronic excitation, decay and photochemical processes in rare gas clusters

¹ Inst für Experimentalphysik, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
² Hamburger Synchrotronstrahlungslabor HASYLAB at Deutsches Elekronensynchrotron DESY (Hamburg) Germany.

Abstract

An overview of processes of electronic excitation and the subsequent following decay in clusters is presented. Pure rare gas clusters (Xe-Ne) are chosen as model systems for non-metallic clusters. Selective photo-excitation with synchrotron radiation offers the possibility to study a variety of different decay and relaxation processes (exciton trapping, desorption of electronically excited species) depending both on the cluster size and of the excitation energy. Special emphasis is given to the role of energy transfer, and in particular, vibrational energy flow, radiative and non-radiative electronic relaxation. Some recent results on the decay processes in He clusters are given in the last part of the article. Decay processes in He clusters differ remarkably from that observed in the heavier rare gas clusters.