Multiple ionization in carbon monoxide by successive electron impacts

Abstract

Appearance potential curves for the multiply-charged ions of carbon and oxygen (up to C4+ and O6+ for electron energies less than 200 eV) have been measured in two mass spectrometers fitted with trapped-ion sources. Trapping of the C+ and O+ ions is not as efficient as for ions produced without dissociation because of the initial kinetic energies of the dissociatively produced ions. The predominant collision sequences involve the formation of CO+ as the first step rather than the dissociative ionization of CO. Ionization potentials estimated from measured appearance potential curves are in agreement with spectroscopically determined values. Most of the other breaks that were repeatedly observed in the appearance potential curves are in reasonable agreement with energy-limiting steps in the collision sequences corresponding to transitions between spectroscopically known energy levels of the ions. Two observed transitions (in O4+ and O5+ appearance potential curves) cannot be explained in terms of spectroscopically known energy levels and may result from highly-excited, long-lived states of O2+ and O4+, respectively. The threshold of the C4+ appearance potential curve indicates the existence of a metastable state of C3+ not previously observed.