Photodissociation of simple molecules in the gas phase.

Recent developments in the investigations of photodissciation of simple molecules are reviewed. In reviewing, the preference is put on the works on the photodissociation in the (nearly) collision free conditions in which the nascent vibrational and/or rotational distributions of the fragments are probed. Also included are the photodissociation of metal-containing molecules and that of the molecules which give lasing fragments.