Multiphoton dissociative ionization of molecules and laser photolysis of molecular toluene ions

An investigation was made of coUisionless multiphoton dissociative ionization of gaseous toluene molecules exposed to fourth-harmonic radiation (λ = 266 nm) from a pulsed YAG:Nd³⁺ laser. The degree of nonlinearity of the processes involving the formation of molecular and fragment ions with masses of 92,91,65, and 39 was found. Secondary photolysis was used to determine the cross sections for the photodissociation of molecular toluene ions at the 266 and 532 nm wavelengths. These were (5 ± 1)× 10^–18 and (1.2 ± 0.3)×10^–19 cm², respectively.