Swift heavy ion-induced small molecule fragmentation dynamics

We present here a review of the experimental results obtained these last years at CIRIL laboratory in the field of swift heavy ion-induced small molecule fragmentation dynamics. Using the high ionizing power of highly charged ions, we study the formation and decay dynamics of charged molecules. We evidence the role of the excited states of the transient molecular ion populated before dissociation. The evolution of the experimental setup from coincident time of flight spectroscopy to reaction microscope, in conjunction with calculations taking into account these excited states, opens the way to multi-differential cross-sections measurements. A deep insight is now possible, for example, in the study of polyatomic molecule bond breakage selectivity. A special attention is actually paid to the electron emission description in the molecular frame in order to evidence some specific effects inherent to the molecular nature of the target. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.