Quantitative evaluation of charge-reduction effect in cluster constituent ions passing through a foil

Chiba, Atsuya; Saito, Yuichi; Narumi, Kazumasa; Yamada, Keisuke; Kaneko, Toshiaki*

The average charge of the constituent ions resulting from foil-induced dissociation of cluster ion is smaller than that of the single ion passing through the foil at same speed. This charge reduction effect is one of the most important phenomena for understanding the interaction of cluster ions with electrons in a solid, and the theories suggested that it strongly depends on the internuclear distance of the constituent ions. However, the relationship between the internuclear distance and the charge state has still not been shown quantitatively. We developed a method to evaluate the relationship by analyzing the divergence angle of the constituent ions after foil penetration using Coulomb explosion imaging technique. As a result for 6-MeV C, it was shown quantitatively that the charge reduction effect decreases with increasing the internuclear distance of the constituent ion in the solid.