Search for Br* production in the D+DBr reaction.

Deuterium bromide (DBr) is expanded from a pulsed jet into a vacuum and a synchronized pulsed laser causes photodissociation of some of the DBr molecules to produce primarily (approximately 85%) ground-state bromine atoms ((2)P(3/2)) and fast D atoms. The latter collide with the cold DBr molecules and react to produce molecular deuterium (D(2)) via two possible channels, the adiabatic channel D(2)+Br((2)P(3/2)) and the nonadiabatic channel D(2)+Br*((2)P(1/2)), which are asymptotically separated in energy by the spin-orbit splitting (0.457 eV) of the bromine atom. Ion images are recorded for D(2)(v'=1, J'=16, 18-21), D(2)(v'=2, J'=6,7, 10-12, 14-16), and D(2)(v'=3, J'=2-5) for various collision energies. For the nonadiabatic production of spin-orbit-excited Br* in the D+DBr reaction for the conditions studied we estimate that this channel contributes 1% or less.