MULTIPLY CHARGED MOLECULES

Isolated metastable multiply charged molecular ions constitute a new class of molecular entity which dissociate much less rapidly than would be expected from conventional perturbative single-particle theories of atomic and molecular collisions. Studies of such entities have witnessed a spectacular growth in the course of the last five years. This report attempts to present an overview of developments in this subject area by presenting recipes of contemporary experimental and theoretical techniques applied to the study of such species, along with illustrative examples of the type of information obtainable. There is strong interplay between theoretical and experimental studies. Experimental effort is generally directed towards obtaining information on the energetics involved in the formation and fragmentation of multiply charged molecules and their interaction with other, neutral atoms and molecules. Theoretical studies primarily address the question of the metastability of multiply charged molecules and focus attention of calculations of ionic potential-energy surfaces.