Figure 3.

(a) Measured C₂D₅ ⁺ photofragment angular distribution from the nω + C₂D₆ → C₂D₆ ⁺ → C₂D₅ ⁺ + D process at I_peak = 2 × 10¹⁵ W cm⁻² (I_avg = 2 × 10¹³ W cm⁻²) and a pulse duration of about 5 fs. (b) Measured C₂D₅ ⁺ photofragment angular distribution for the same process and pulse duration but at a higher intensity: I_peak = 7 × 10¹⁵ W cm⁻² and I_avg = 6 × 10¹³ W cm⁻². (c) Calculated C₂D₅ ⁺ angular distribution without including FDRC orbitals, at a uniform intensity of 9 × 10¹³ W cm⁻². (d) Calculated C₂D₅ ⁺ angular distribution once the FDRC orbitals are included, at a uniform intensity of 2 × 10¹⁵ W cm⁻². The laser polarization, indicated by the red arrow in (a), is vertical in all panels. The ethane HOMO has π* symmetry.