The interaction of CS2 with intense short pulse laser radiation is studied, experimentally
using time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. Laser pulses of 0.5 and 5 psec at 248 and 496 nm
have been used in order to investigate the effect of the wavelength and the pulse duration
on the molecular ionization and fragmentation. As shown, for low enough intensities
the parent molecular ion is present as the most important peak in all cases. Increasing
the intensity results in extensive fragmentation, where the molecular parent ion remains
always the more intense mass peak at 496 nm while at 248 nm S+ dominates the mass
spectra. Finally, the production of multiply charged fragments is more efficient at the
longer wavelength used.