Photodissociation of the Hydroxyl Radical (OH)
The hydroxyl radical (OH) is essentially a piece of a molecule, made up of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom. It is highly reactive. It is often produced when a water molecule loses a hydrogen atom.
This animation illustrates the process of photodissociation of the hydroxyl radical. When an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photon strikes the hydroxyl radical (OH) , it photodissociates the radical into two separate parts - a hydrogen atom (H) and an oxygen atom (O). The energy from the photon breaks the chemical bond that holds the atoms together.
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Photodissociation of Water
Photodissociation of Molecular Oxygen
Photodissociation of Molecular Nitrogen
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