Elementary Collision Processes Studied by Laser Spectroscopy

Abstract

Recent studies on elementary collision processes by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy are reviewed. This technique can reveal nascent rotational, vibrational and translational distributions of products under single-collision conditions. These findings disclose the dynamical mechanisms of the elementary processes. Excitation, ionization and dissociation processes induced in electronmolecule and atom (ion) -molecule collisions are described as examples.