Measurement of averages of charge, energy and mass of large, multiply charged cluster ions colliding with atoms

Abstract

A new technique is described that has allowed the first measurements of the averages of charge, energy and mass of large, multiply charged, gas clusters. The technique is used to investigate cluster–gas collisions. For this study, a beam with averages of charge state +3.2, energy 64 keV and mass 10,400 atoms was produced in a state-of-the-art high intensity Ar gas cluster ion beam, and the stability of these clusters undergoing collisions with Ar gas atoms was measured using a gas cell target. With a target thickness of 2.2 × 10 14 atoms/cm 2, the cluster mass and energy are reduced to 0.22 of the original values while charge is less affected and the velocity is nearly constant.