Three-body fragmentation of triatomic molecular ions in a strong laser field

POSTER

Abstract

Coincidence three-dimensional momentum imaging measurements of three-body fragmentation of transient triply-charged CO$_2$ molecules reveal competing fragmentation paths involving bending, symmetric and asymmetric stretching, as well as the more complex sequential breakup (i.e. one bond at a time) [1,2]. We have extended these studies using a CO$_2^+$ molecular-ion-beam target, providing similar results for the breakup of the transient CO$_2^{3+} \rightarrow$ O$^++$C$^++$O$^+$. The detection of neutral fragments also enables kinematically complete measurements of the three-body breakup of the transient CO$_2^{2+}$. Our results, for CO$_2^+$ in ultrashort ($\sim$26 fs) intense (10$^{15}$ to 10$^{16}$ W/cm$^2$) laser pulses at 790 nm, suggest significant bending in the C$^++$O$^++$O$^+$ channel as well as sequential breakup. In contrast, sequential breakup is suppressed in the O$^++$C$^++$O and O$^++$C$+$O$^+$ channels.\\[4pt] [1] N. Neumann \textit{et al.}, Phys Rev. Lett. \textbf{104}, 103201 (2010)\\[0pt] [2] Cong Wu \textit{et al.}, Phys Rev. Lett. \textbf{110}, 103601 (2013)

*Supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, U.S.

Authors

  • U. Ablikim

    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

  • M. Zohrabi

    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

  • Bethany Jochim

    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

  • Ben Berry

    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

  • K. Carnes

    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA

  • I. Ben-Itzhak

    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, U.S.A.
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 USA
    • J.R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, U.S.A
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Dept., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
    • J. R. Macdonald Laboratory, Physics Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA