A comparative study of dissociation and ionization of isoelectronic N₂⁺ and CO⁺ molecular ions in an ultrafast intense laser field

B. Gaire, Nora G. Johnson, J. McKenna, A.M. Sayler, E. Parke, K.D. Carnes, B.D. Esry, I. Ben-Itzhak
James R. Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA

The response of the molecular ion beams N₂⁺ and CO⁺ to intense (up to 5 x 10¹⁵ W/cm² ultrashort laser pulses (10 and 45 fs) at 790 nm wavelength is investigated. For this purpose, we employ a coincidence 3D momentum imaging method to separate all breakup channels and then obtain kinetic energy release spectra and angular distributions of each of the channels. In particular, we will make a direct comparison between N₂⁺ and CO⁺ fragmentation focusing on the similarities and differences of these two molecules that share similar electronic configurations. The relative branching ratios of all the relevant breakup channels will also be discussed.

This work was supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy, and by the National Science Foundation.

Presented at DAMOP, May 2008, in State College, PA.

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