6533b855fe1ef96bd12b0629

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Determination of dissociation energies by use of energy-dependent decay pathway branching ratios

Lutz SchweikhardLutz SchweikhardAlexander HerlertKlavs HansenManuel Vogel

subject

Energy dependentChemistryBranching fractionPolyatomic ionGeneral Physics and AstronomyBranching (polymer chemistry)Bond-dissociation energyMolecular physicsDissociation (chemistry)IonFragmentation (mass spectrometry)Physics::Atomic and Molecular ClustersPhysics::Chemical PhysicsPhysical and Theoretical ChemistryAtomic physics

description

Abstract We present a method for the determination of dissociation energies of polyatomic systems that undergo sequential fragmentation with energy-dependent decay pathway branching. It allows to experimentally determine the dissociation energy of any polyatomic system that shows such fragmentation behaviour without the need for a specific modelling of the system or of its fragmentation process, thus eliminating several systematic errors of traditional methods. The new method has been applied to the sequential fragmentation of Au+14 and Au+16. The resulting dissociation energies are highly accurate and in good agreement with model-free values based on rates of sequential decays.

https://doi.org/10.1016/s0009-2614(01)00935-6