ISSN:
1089-7690
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Metastable decay of Ar+@B|3 produced by electron impact ionization of a supersonic Ar cluster beam has been investigated qualitatively and quantitatively with a double focusing sector field mass spectrometer. We present direct experimental proof that the observed metastable decay of Ar+*3 into Ar+ in the microsecond time regime proceeds predominantly via a sequential decay series Ar+@B|3→k3,2Ar+*2→ k2,1Ar+ involving the evaporation of a single monomer in each of these successive decays. The metastable decay rates deduced are very different, i.e., k3,2 =45 s−1 and k2,1 =680 s−1 at an ion acceleration voltage of 3 kV. Moreover, the metastable decay rates of Ar+@B|3 exhibit a strong dependence on time elapsed since electron impact production of the Ar+3, and on ion production parameters (i.e., size and internal excitation energy of the neutral precursor). For instance photodissociation (with visible laser light) of the neutral cluster beam leads to a dramatic increase of the observed metastable reaction rules yielding values of up to 100 000 3−1 in the μs time regime.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.455469
