CO2 Clusters: Forming Fragile Dications in Helium Nanodroplets

Authors

Florian Foitzik, University of Innsbruck
Lisa Ganner, University of Innsbruck
Stefan Bergmeister, University of Innsbruck
Fabio Zappa, University of Innsbruck
Paul Scheier, University of Innsbruck
Olof E. Echt, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow
Elisabeth Gruber, University of InnsbruckFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0970-1191

Abstract

For many atoms and molecules, small multiply charged clusters are unstable with respect to spontaneous charge separation. When bare CO₂ clusters are ionized by electrons, the smallest detected dications contain 43 molecules. The same appearance size has been obtained when neutral CO₂ clusters embedded in helium nanodroplets are electron ionized. Here we show that electron ionization of singly charged CO₂ clusters solvated in helium nanodroplets drastically lowers the appearance size to n_a = 30. The combination of efficient cooling in superfluid helium, sequential ionization, and gentle collisions of the nanodroplets with helium gas makes it possible to form dications that are barely larger than the Rayleigh limit.

Date Created

2024-12-15

Department

Physics

Publication Date

Fall 12-12-2024

Grant/Award Number and Agency

Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [10.55776/W1259, 10.55776/V1035, 10.55776/P34563]

Journal Title

Physica Scripta

Language

English

Publisher

Institute of Physics (IOP)

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/ad999a

Document Type

Article

Recommended Citation

F. Foitzik, L. Ganner, S. Bergmeister, F. Zappa, P. Scheier, O. Echt, E. Gruber, Phys.Scr. 100 (2025) 015405

Rights

Article published on a subscription basis

Comments

This article is part of the Themed Collection Focus on the Fundamentals and Applications of Electron Attachment and Ion–Molecule Processes, Special Issue Tilmann Märk