Comparison of kinetic-energy distributions and ionic fragment yields of CO2 and N2O arising from Coulomb explosions induced by multiphoton ionization and fast-ion impact

The comparison of kinetic-energy distributions and ionic fragment yields produced from CO2 and N2O in fast-ion collisions and multiphoton ionization reveals three comparative and distinguishing features of the interactions. They are (i) similarities in the Oq+ (specifically O3+) energy distributions from CO2 arising from correspondingly similar magnitudes of the peak electric fields occurring in the interactions, (ii) a strongly dissimilar pattern of site-dependent ionization as observed in N2O, and (iii) a marked similarity in the production of anomalously energetic C2+ ions arising from high-lying CO2+ precursors having a substantial charge-transfer character. © 1993 The American Physical Society.