Photoabsorption and near-threshold electron energy-loss spectroscopy of OClO

The spectroscopy of chlorine dioxide, OClO, has been investigated using the techniques of dissociative electron attachment (DEA), near-threshold electron energy loss (EEL, 0-10 eV) and optical absorption (2.5-10.8 eV). Mass and energy analyses of the ions formed in the DEA processes show that at energies above about 3 eV, the product ions are predominantly near-thermal Cl^-, suggesting that the accompanying oxygen atoms are excited electronically. All features observed in the EEL experiments are in regions of optical absorption, indicating that the optically dark doublet and quartet states have energies which overlap optically allowed transitions. The optical spectrum itself is in good qualitative agreement with previous measurements, but there are differences in relative absorption cross sections. Alternative interpretations of some spectral features are proposed.