Dissociation dynamics of Ar+n (n=3–16) in collision with He and Ne

Abstract

Dissociation dynamics of Ar cluster ions, Ar+n (n=3–16), in collision with He and Ne atoms was investigated by measuring the absolute dissociation cross sections and the branching fractions of the product ions at the collision energies of 0.1–10 eV in the center-of-mass frame. The cross sections and the branching fractions were successfully explained in terms of collisional excitation of the parent cluster ion and subsequent dissociation of it; the collisional excitation was treated by a hard sphere collision model with the aid of the molecular dynamics (MD) and the diatomics-in-molecules (DIM) calculations reported previously, and the subsequent dissociation was explained by the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel (RRK) theory.