ISSN:
1434-6079
Keywords:
36.40
;
34.80.G
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Abstract Metastable decay of cluster ions has been discovered only recently. It was noted that one has to take this metastable decay into account when using mass spectrometry to probe neutral clusters, because ion abundance anomalies in mass spectra of rare gas and molecular clusters are caused by delayed metastable evaporation of monomers following ion production. Moreover, it was found that(i) the individual metastable reaction rates k depend strongly on cluster size and cluster ion production pathways and that(ii) there exists experimental evidence (k=k(t)) and a theoretical prediction that a given mass selected cluster ion generated by electron impact ionization of a nozzle expansion beam will comprise a range of metastable decay rates. In addition, it was discovered that metastable Ar cluster ions which lose two monomers in the μs time regime decay via sequential decay series Ar n + *→Ar n−1 + *→Ar n−2 + * with cluster sizes 7≤n≤10 andn=3 (similar results were obtained recently in case of N2 cluster ions). Conversely, the dominant metastable decay channel of Ar 4 + * into Ar 2 + was found to proceed predominantly via a single step fissioning process.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01426951
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