We report on a new method to identify the electronic symmetry of continuum state involved in the predissociation of long-lived rotational levels of diatomic molecules. The angular distribution of atomic fragments resulting from photodissociation is used to elucidate the dissociation mechanism. We applied this method to the e1Pu(u = 0, J = 1.,9) levels of N2. These levels predissociate by two different mechanisms to N(2Po)+ N(4So) and N(2Do) + N(4So) and each dissociation mechanism yields a different angular distribution.

Phys. Rev. Lett.

Buijsse, B., Wouters, E. R., & van der Zande, W. J. (1996). Diagnostic value of photofragment anisotropy measurements: the predissociation mechanisms of the e1Pu state of N2. Phys.Rev.Lett., 77, 243–246.