Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.109, No.23, 10195-10200, 1998
Fragmentation of ionized liquid helium droplets: A new interpretation
Pure liquid helium droplets of mean size [N] = 100-15000 atoms ionized by electron impact show surprisingly similar ion fragment distributions. For all cluster sizes He-2(+) is the most probable cluster ion fragment, accounting for 30%-70% of the total ion yield. The high relative intensity of He-2(+) for the larger clusters shows that the droplets dissipate the ionization energy through an impulsive process, which ejects He-2(+) from me cluster, rather man by thermal evaporation. The other helium ion fragments that have been the focus of previous studies ate most likely formed by a similar mechanism.
Keywords:SMALL CLUSTERS;HE-4 CLUSTERS;MAGIC NUMBERS;IONIZATION;SCATTERING;EXCITATIONS;MOLECULES;CAPTURE;ATOMS;NE