Momentum spectroscopy of fragment ions of a multiply charged N2O molecule under impact of 10-keV electrons

Abstract

The dissociative ionization of a N2O molecule is studied at an electron energy of 10 keV using the multiple-ion-coincidence imaging technique. The complete as well as the incomplete Coulomb explosion pathways for N 2O2+ and N2O3+ ions are examined and identified. The precursor-specific relative partial ionization cross sections for resulting fragment ions are obtained. It is found that about 81.8% of single ionization, 17.8% of double ionization, and about 0.4% of triple ionization of the parent molecule contribute to the total fragment ion yield. Furthermore, the relative ionic fractions for ion-pair and ion-triple formation are also determined. The kinetic energy release distributions for different coincidence channels are obtained and compared with the available data at lower energies of electron and photon impacts and with that of high-energy ion impact. From the angular correlation studies of fragment ions, it is inferred that states with bent geometries are involved for most of the fragmentation channels of N 2O2+ and N2O3+ ions. The concerted and/or sequential nature of the six dissociation pathways is also assigned. No other experimental or theoretical data exist in the literature to compare with the results obtained at the considered impact energy. © 2012 American Physical Society.