Search

Physical review accelerators and beams 24(5), 050101 (2021). doi:10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.24.050101, Published by American Physical Society, College Park, MD

We present the design of MOCCA, a large-area particle detector that is developed for the position- and energy-resolving detection of neutral molecule fragments produced in electron–ion interactions at the Cryogenic Storage Ring at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. The detector is based on metallic magnetic calorimeters and consists of 4096 particle absorbers covering a total detection area of $$44.8\,\mathrm {mm} \times 44.8\,\mathrm {mm}$$ . Groups of four absorbers are thermally coupled to a common paramagnetic temperature sensor where the strength of the thermal link is different for each absorber. This allows attributing a detector event within this group to the corresponding absorber by discriminating the signal rise times. A novel readout scheme further allows reading out all 1024 temperature sensors that are arranged in a $$32 \times 32$$ square array using only $$16+16$$ current-sensing superconducting quantum interference devices. Numerical calculations taking into account a simplified detector model predict an energy resolution of $$\Delta E_\mathrm {FWHM} \le 80\,\mathrm {eV}$$ for all pixels of this detector.

Photodetachment thermometry on a beam of OH$^-$ in a cryogenic storage ring cooled to below 10 K is carried out using two-dimensional, frequency and time dependent photodetachment spectroscopy over 20 minutes of ion storage. In equilibrium with the low-level blackbody field, we find an effective radiative temperature near 15 K with about 90% of all ions in the rotational ground state. We measure the J = 1 natural lifetime (about 193 s) and determine the OH$^-$ rotational transition dipole moment with 1.5% uncertainty. We also measure rotationally dependent relative near-threshold photodetachment cross sections for photodetachment thermometry., Manuscript LaTeX with 5 pages, 3 figures, and 1 table plus LaTeX supplement with 12 pages, 3 figures and 3 tables. This article has been accepted by Physical Review Letters

We have used a single-particle detector system, based on secondary electron emission, for counting low-energetic (~keV/u) massive products originating from atomic and molecular ion reactions in the electrostatic Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR). The detector is movable within the cryogenic vacuum chamber of CSR, and was used to measure production rates of a variety of charged and neutral daughter particles. In operation at a temperature of ~6 K, the detector is characterised by a high dynamic range, combining a low dark event rate with good high-rate particle counting capability. On-line measurement of the pulse height distributions proved to be an important monitor of the detector response at low temperature. Statistical pulse-height analysis allows to infer the particle detection efficiency of the detector, which has been found to be close to unity also in cryogenic operation at 6 K., Accepted to Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, A

30th International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions, ICPEAC XXX, Cairns, Australien, 26 Jul 2017 - 1 Aug 2017; Journal of physics / Conference Series 875, 052005 (2017). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/875/6/052005, Absolute rate coefficients for electron-ion recombination of astrophysically relevant Si9+ and Si10+ ions were measured at a heavy-ion storage ring. Hyperfine quenching of long-lived metastable levels was used for preparing practically pure ground-state beams in the storage ring. From the measured results rate coefficients for recombination of Si9+ and Si10+ ions in a plasma are derived and represented by simple parameterizations., Published by IOP Publ., Bristol

We have studied the photodissociation of CH^{+} in the Cryogenic Storage Ring at ambient temperatures below 10 K. Owing to the extremely high vacuum of the cryogenic environment, we were able to store CH^{+} beams with a kinetic energy of ∼60 keV for several minutes. Using a pulsed laser, we observed Feshbach-type near-threshold photodissociation resonances for the rotational levels J=0-2 of CH^{+}, exclusively. In comparison to updated, state-of-the-art calculations, we find excellent agreement in the relative intensities of the resonances for a given J, and we can extract time-dependent level populations. Thus, we can monitor the spontaneous relaxation of CH^{+} to its lowest rotational states and demonstrate the preparation of an internally cold beam of molecular ions.

We have studied the photodissociation of CH+ in the Cryogenic Storage Ring at ambient temperatures below 10 K. Owing to the extremely high vacuum of the cryogenic environment, we were able to store CH+ beams with a kinetic energy of ∼60 keV for several minutes. Using a pulsed laser, we observed Feshbach-type near-threshold photodissociation resonances for the rotational levels J=0–2 of CH+, exclusively. In comparison to updated, state-of-the-art calculations, we find excellent agreement in the relative intensities of the resonances for a given J, and we can extract time-dependent level populations. Thus, we can monitor the spontaneous relaxation of CH+ to its lowest rotational states and demonstrate the preparation of an internally cold beam of molecular ions.

We report our plasma rate coefficient and branching ratio measurements for dissociative recombination (DR) of D2Cl+ with electrons. The studies were performed in a merged-beams configuration using the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Starting with our absolute merged-beams recombination rate coefficient at a collision energy of approximate to 0 eV, we have extracted the cross section and produced a plasma rate coefficient for a translational temperature of approximate to 8 K. Furthermore, extrapolating our cross-section results using the typical low-energy DR behavior, we have generated a plasma rate coefficient for translational temperatures from 5 to 500 K. We find good agreement between our extrapolated results and previous experimental DR studies on D2Cl+. Additionally, we have investigated the three fragmentation channels for DR of D2Cl+. Here we report on the dissociation geometry of the three-body fragmentation channel, the kinetic energy released for each of the three outgoing channels, the molecular internal excitation for the two outgoing channels that produce molecular fragments, and the fragmentation branching ratios for all three channels. Our results, in combination with those of other groups, indicate that any remaining uncertainties in the DR rate coefficient for H2Cl+ appear unlikely to explain the observed discrepancies between the inferred abundances of HCl and H2Cl+ in molecular clouds and predictions from astrochemical models.

Ultraviolet and visible photodissociation of a vibrationally excited H(3)(+) ion beam, as produced by standard ion sources, was successfully implemented in an ion storage ring with the aim of investigating the decay of the excited molecular levels. A collinear beams configuration was used to measure the photodissociation of H(3)(+) into H(2)(+) + H fragments by transitions into the first excited singlet state with 266 and 532 nm laser beams. A clear signal could be observed up to 5 ms of storage, indicating that enough highly excited rovibrational states survive on the millisecond time scale of the experiment. The decay into H(2)(+) + H shows an effective time constant between about 1 and 1.5 ms. The initial photodissociating states are estimated to lie roughly 1 eV below the dissociation limit of 4.4 eV. The expected low population of these levels gives rise to an effective cross section of several 10(-20) cm(2) for ultraviolet and some 10(-21) cm(2) for visible light. For using multistep resonant dissociation schemes to monitor rotational populations of cold H(3)(+) in low-density environments, these measurements open promising perspectives.

For measurements of recombination rate coefficients of slowly recombining ions with rate coefficients below 10–7cm3s–1 in Flowing Afterglow Langmuir Probe (FALP) experiment the plasma decay time has to be long and this requires buffer gas (helium) pressures in range 500 – 2000 Pa. Application of Langmuir probe for measurements of electron energy distribution function, EEDF (f (e)), at these pressures is not trivial. The Druyvestein formula for calculating f (e) from the second derivative of the electron current to the probe (I″e) cannot be used. More complex analyses of measured probe characteristic are required to obtain reliable EEDF. To characterize the extent of the required corrections, the probe characteristics in well-defined flowing afterglow plasma were measured and two different methods were used to obtain EEDF. In the first method, the first and second derivative of probe characteristics were used to obtain EEDF [1]. In the second method, numerical correction was calculated [2] and applied to values obtained from Druyvesteyn formula. By comparison of obtained EEDF with Maxwell distribution we determine a region of electron energies where advanced analysis is necessary. It was found that in a helium afterglow at 250 K, with pressure 600 – 2000 Pa, where plasma is nearly Maxwellian with T e ∼ 250 – 600 K, the correction is necessary for electron energies e ≤ 3.5 kBTe. At higher electron energies correction is negligible and is not necessary. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A series of twelve breast milk samples were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) operated in selected ion monitoring mode for 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD). Whilst none of the samples contained 3-MCPD above the limit of detection of 3 microg kg(-1) milk, all contained high amounts of 3-MCPD esterified with higher fatty acids. The levels of 3-MCPD released by hydrolysis of these esters (bound 3-MCPD) ranged from the limit of detection (300 microg kg(-1), expressed on a fat basis) to 2195 microg kg(-1); with a mean level of bound 3-MCPD of 1014 microg kg(-1), which corresponded to 35.5 microg kg(-1) milk. The presence of bound 3-MCPD was confirmed using orthogonal gas chromatography coupled with high-speed time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis for four randomly selected breast milk samples. Six breast milks collected from one of the nursing mothers 14-76 days after childbirth contained bound 3-MCPD within the range of 328-2078 microg kg(-1) fat (mean 930 microg kg(-1) fat). The calculated bound 3-MCPD content of these samples was within the range of 6 and 19 microg kg(-1) milk (mean of 12 microg kg(-1) milk). The major types of 3-MCPD esters were the symmetric diesters with lauric, palmitic, and oleic acids, and asymmetric diesters with palmitic acid/oleic acid among which 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol 1,2-dioleate prevailed.

Reported is Flowing Afterglow study of recombination of KrH+ and XeH+ ions with electrons at low temperature. In the experiment the plasma was created in a microwave discharge in the upstream part of the flow tube in a fast flow of helium carrier gas at a pressure ∼ 1 600 Pa. Further downstream He-Kr-H2 and He-Ar-Xe-H2 were added to form KrH+ and XeH+ ions, respectively. The electron number density along the flow tube was monitored by an axially movable Langmuir probe. The corresponding recombination rate coefficients were obtained from the rate of plasma decay during the KrH+ (or XeH+) dominated afterglow. The kinetic model was used to optimize dominance of KrH+ and XeH+ ions and to minimize the formation of H + 3 ions and fast recombining cluster ions. Since the proton affinity of krypton is only 0.02 eV greater than that of H2, the partial pressures of these reactants have to be adjusted very carefully to obtain plasma with a maximal population of KrH+. Obtained rate coefficients for recombination of KrH+ and XeH+ ions with electrons at 250 K are 2 × 10−8 cm3s−1 and 8 × 10−8 cm3s−1, respectively.

The recombination of D+3 and D+5 ions with electrons in a He–Ar–D2 flowing afterglow plasma is reported. Low temperature (T = 130–300 K) and high pressure of the He buffer gas (900–1200 Pa) was used to enhance the formation of D+5 ions in the afterglow plasma. The deuterium partial number density was varied over a large range ([D2] = 1 × 1012–3 × 1015 cm−3) to study its influence on plasma decay. At low [D2], D+3 ions dominate in the afterglow and the plasma decay is controlled by the recombination of D+3 ions (rate coefficient α3). At high [D2] and lower temperatures, D+5 ions are effectively formed and the plasma decay is controlled by the recombination of D+5 ions (α5). In the intermediate region, the rate of recombination is given by the partial densities of both ions, D+3 and D+5. These partial densities are influenced by conditions in the plasma and they are controlled by ion–molecule reactions (D+3 + D2 ↔ D+5). If the ion–molecule reactions are fast in comparison with the recombination processes the plasma decay can be characterized by the equilibrium constant KC and by recombination rate coefficients α3 and α5. By monitoring of the plasma decay, all three constants α3 (190 K) = (1.4 ± 0.5) × 10−7 cm3 s−1, α5 (190 K) = (3 ± 1) × 10−6 cm3 s−1 and KC (190 K) = (3.8 ± 2.0) × 10−16 cm3 are determined.

The recombination of H+3 ions with electrons has been studied in afterglow plasma in three different experiments. In two experiments, using the Variable Temperature Stationary Afterglow (VT-AISA) and the Variable Temperature Flowing Afterglow (VT-FALP) techniques, a decay of the electron number density was measured by an electrostatic Langmuir probe to determine the recombination rate coefficient. In the third experiment a near infrared Cavity Ring-Down Absorption Spectrometer (CRDS) was used to monitor the decay of the H+3 (v = 0) ion density during the afterglow. Measurements were carried out in helium buffer gas with small admixtures of argon and hydrogen at total pressures ranging from 150 up to 1200 Pa and at buffer gas temperatures ranging from 100 up to 330 K. In the experiments the partial number density of hydrogen was varied from 5 × 1010 up to 1 × 1016 cm−3 and for this broad range of hydrogen number densities effective recombination rate coefficients were obtained, which varied over three orders of magnitude from 2 × 10−9 cm3s−1 at [H2] = 5 × 1010 cm−3 up to 3 × 10−6 cm3s−1 at [H2] = 1 × 1016 cm−3. Using our experimental results we discuss possible mechanisms of recombination in hydrogen plasma in a very broad range of several parameters: buffer gas pressure, temperature, electron number density, hydrogen number density and internal excitation of recombining ions.

The recombination of H + 3 and H + 5 ions with electrons has been studied in a low-temperature, high-pressure flowing afterglow in a mixture of He-Ar-H 2 . At high H 2 number densities and lower temperatures, H + 5 ions are formed and the electron decay is controlled by their recombination with electrons (rate coefficient α(H + 5 ). At lower H 2 number densities, H + 3 ions dominate the plasma and the decay is controlled by these ions (rate coefficient α(H + 3)). In the intermediate pressure regime the decay of the afterglow plasma depends on the ratio R = [H + 5]/[H + 3] = [H 2 ]K C (T) and both rate coefficients. In the experiment the overall effective recombination rate coefficient, α eff , as a function of the H 2 number density was measured. Recombination coefficients α(H + 3 ) and α(H + 5 ) and the equilibrium constant, K C (T), were determined at several temperatures. The observed pressure and temperature dependences are in good agreement with thermodynamical data.

We present experimentally measured and theoretically calculated rate coefficients for the electron-ion recombination of W18+([Kr]4d104f10) forming W17+. At low electron-ion collision energies, the merged-beam rate coefficient is dominated by strong, mutually overlapping recombination resonances. In the temperature range where the fractional abundance of W18+ is expected to peak in a fusion plasma, the experimentally derived Maxwellian recombination rate coefficient is 5 to 10 times larger than that which is currently recommended for plasma modeling. The complexity of the atomic structure of the open-4f system under study makes the theoretical calculations extremely demanding. Nevertheless, the results of the present Breit-Wigner partitioned dielectronic recombination calculations agree reasonably well with the experimental findings. This also gives confidence in the ability of the theory to generate sufficiently accurate atomic data for the plasma modeling of other complex ions.

We have measured dielectronic recombination (DR) for Fe12 + forming Fe11 + using the heavy ion storage ring TSR located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Using our results, we have calculated a plasma rate coefficient from these data that can be used for modeling astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. For the low temperatures characteristic of photoionized plasmas, the experimentally derived rate coefficient is orders of magnitude larger than the previously recommended atomic data. The existing atomic data were also about 40% smaller than our measurements at temperatures relevant for collisionally ionized plasmas. Recent state-of-the-art theory has difficulty reproducing the detailed energy dependence of the DR spectrum. However, for the Maxwellian plasma rate coefficient, recent theoretical results agree with our measurements to within about 30% for both photoionized and collisionally ionized plasmas.

The absolute configuration of (R,R)-2,3-dideuterooxirane, which has been independently determined using Coulomb explosion imaging, has been unambiguously chemically correlated with the stereochemical key reference (+)-glyceraldehyde. This puts the absolute configuration of D(+)-glyceraldehyde on firm experimental grounds.

Rate coefficients for photorecombination (PR) and cross sections for electron-impact ionization (EII) of Fe$^{14+}$ forming Fe$^{13+}$ and Fe$^{15+}$, respectively, have been measured by employing the electron-ion merged-beams technique at a heavy-ion storage ring. Rate coefficients for PR and EII of Fe$^{14+}$ ions in a plasma are derived from the experimental measurements. Simple parametrizations of the experimentally derived plasma rate coefficients are provided for use in the modeling of photoionized and collisionally ionized plasmas. In the temperature ranges where Fe$^{14+}$ is expected to form in such plasmas the latest theoretical rate coefficients of Altun et al. [Astron. Astrophys. 474, 1051 (2007)] for PR and of Dere [Astron. Astrophys. 466, 771 (2007)] for EII agree with the experimental results to within the experimental uncertainties. Common features in the PR and EII resonance structures are identified and discussed., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, submitted for publication to Physical Review A

We have investigated dissociative recombination (DR) of NH$^+$ with electrons using a merged beams configuration at the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. We present our measured absolute merged beams recombination rate coefficient for collision energies from 0 to 12 eV. From these data we have extracted a cross section which we have transformed to a plasma rate coefficient for the collisional plasma temperature range from $T_{\rm pl} = 10$ to $18000$ K. We show that the NH$^+$ DR rate coefficient data in current astrochemical models are underestimated by up to a factor of $\sim 9$. Our new data will result in predicted NH$^+$ abundances lower than calculated by present models. This is in agreement with the sensitivity limits of all observations attempting to detect NH$^+$ in interstellar clouds., Comment: July 1st 2014: Accepted for publication in ApJ

In chemistry and biology, chirality, or handedness, refers to molecules that exist in two spatial configurations that are incongruent mirror images of one another. Almost all biologically active molecules are chiral, and the correct determination of their absolute configuration is essential for the understanding and the development of processes involving chiral molecules. Anomalous x-ray diffraction and vibrational optical activity measurements are broadly used to determine absolute configurations of solid or liquid samples. Determining absolute configurations of chiral molecules in the gas phase is still a formidable challenge. Here we demonstrate the determination of the absolute configuration of isotopically labeled (R,R)-2,3-dideuterooxirane by foil-induced Coulomb explosion imaging of individual molecules. Our technique provides unambiguous and direct access to the absolute configuration of small gas-phase species, including ions and molecular fragments.

We report measurements of electron impact ionization (EII) for Fe^13+, Fe^16+, and Fe^17+ over collision energies from below threshold to above 3000 eV. The ions were recirculated using an ion storage ring. Data were collected after a sufficiently long time that essentially all the ions had relaxed radiatively to their ground state before data were collected. For single ionization of $\fethirteen$ we find that previous single pass experiments are more than 40% larger than our results. Compared to our work, the theoretical cross section recommended by Arnaud & Raymond (1992) is more than 30% larger, while that of Dere (2007) is about 20% greater. Much of the discrepancy with Dere (2007) is due to the theory overestimating the contribution of excitation-autoionization via n=2 excitations. Double ionization of Fe^13+ is dominated by direct ionization of an inner shell electron accompanied by autoionization of a second electron. Our results for single ionization of Fe^16+ and Fe^17+ agree with theoretical calculations to within the experimental uncertainties., Accepted for the Astrophysical Journal

We have measured electron impact ionization (EII) for Fe8+ forming Fe9+ from below the ionization threshold to 1200 eV. These measurements were carried out at the TSR heavy ion storage ring. The objective of using a storage ring is to store the ion beam initially so that metastable levels decay, thereby allowing for measurements on a well-defined ground-level ion beam. In this case, however, some metastable levels were too long lived to be removed. We discuss several methods for quantifying the metastable fraction, which we estimate to be ~30%–40%. Although metastables remain problematic, the present storage ring work improves upon other experimental geometries by limiting the metastable contamination to only a few long-lived excited levels. We discuss some future prospects for obtaining improved measurements of Fe8+ and other ions with long-lived metastable levels.

We report measured rate coefficients for electron-ion recombination for Si10+ forming Si9+ and for Si9+ forming Si8+, respectively. The measurements were performed using the electron-ion merged-beams technique at a heavy-ion storage ring. Electron-ion collision energies ranged from 0 to 50 eV for Si9+ and from 0 to 2000 eV for Si10+, thus, extending previous measurements for Si10+ [Orban et al. 2010, Astrophys. J. 721, 1603] to much higher energies. Experimentally derived rate coefficients for the recombination of Si9+ and Si10+ ions in a plasma are presented along with simple parameterizations. These rate coefficients are useful for the modeling of the charge balance of silicon in photoionized plasmas (Si9+ and Si10+) and in collisionally ionized plasmas (Si10+ only). In the corresponding temperature ranges, the experimentally derived rate coefficients agree with the latest corresponding theoretical results within the experimental uncertainties., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, 66 references, submitted to the J. Phys. B special issue on atomic and molecular data for astrophysicists

We have measured electron-ion recombination for Fe XII forming Fe XI using a merged beams configuration at the heavy-ion storage ring TSR located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. The measured merged beams recombination rate coefficient (MBRRC) for collision energies from 0 to 1500 eV is presented. This work uses a new method for determining the absolute MBRRC based on a comparison of the ion beam decay rate with and without the electron beam on. For energies below 75 eV, the spectrum is dominated by dielectronic recombination (DR) resonances associated with 3s-3p and 3p-3d core excitations. At higher energies we observe contributions from 3-N' and 2-N' core excitations DR. We compare our experimental results to state-of-the-art multi-configuration Breit-Pauli (MCBP) calculations and find significant differences, both in resonance energies and strengths. We have extracted the DR contributions from the measured MBRRC data and transformed them into a plasma recombination rate coefficient (PRRC) for temperatures in the range of 10^3 to 10^7 K. We show that the previously recommended DR data for Fe XII significantly underestimate the PRRC at temperatures relevant for both photoionized plasmas (PPs) and collisionaly ionized plasmas (CPs). This is to be contrasted with our MCBP PRRC results which agree with the experiment to within 30% at PP temperatures and even better at CP temperatures. We find this agreement despite the disagreement shown by the detailed comparison between our MCBP and experimental MBRRC results. Lastly, we present a simple parameterized form of the experimentally derived PRRC for easy use in astrophysical modelling codes., April 24, 2012: accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Using event-by-event fragment momentum spectroscopy in a storage-ring merged-beams experiment, we find laboratory evidence that in the dissociative recombination (DR) of HCNH+ with cold electrons the energetic isomer HNC is produced with a high yield, similar to that of HCN. With a newly implemented mass-sensitive fragment imaging detector, we analyze the kinetic energy release of the triatomic fragments DCN/DNC from the DR reaction of the isotopologue DCND+with cold (near 10 K) electrons. The results show that the internal energy of these fragments is extremely high, far exceeding the isomerization barrier between DNC and DCN. From this laboratory characterization of the DR reaction we conclude that also the triatomic fragment HCN/HNC from the DR of HCNH+ will carry a large amount of ro-vibrational excitation and show that this implies an isomeric production ratio in a narrow range near unity.

We have measured electron-ion recombination for C-like Mg6 + forming Mg5 +, and for B-like Mg7 + forming Mg6 +. These studies were performed using a merged electron-ion beam arrangement at the TSR heavy ion storage ring located in Heidelberg, Germany. Both primary ions have metastable levels with significant lifetimes. Using a simple cascade model we estimate the population fractions in these metastable levels. For the Mg6 + results, we find that the majority of the stored ions are in a metastable level, while for Mg7 + the metastable fraction is insignificant. We present the Mg6 + merged beams recombination rate coefficient for DR via N = 2 → N' = 2 core electron excitations (ΔN = 0 DR) and for Mg7 + via 2 → 2 and 2 → 3 core excitations. Taking the estimated metastable populations into account, we compare our results to state-of-the-art multiconfiguration Breit-Pauli theoretical calculations. Significant differences are found at low energies where theory is known to be unreliable. Moreover, for both ions we observe a discrepancy between experiment and theory for ΔN = 0 DR involving capture into high-n Rydberg levels and where the stabilization is primarily due to a radiative transition of the excited core electron. This is consistent with previous DR experiments on M-shell iron ions which were performed at TSR. The large metastable content of the Mg6 + ion beam precludes generating a plasma recombination rate coefficient (PRRC). However, this is not an issue for Mg7 + and we present an experimentally derived Mg7 + PRRC for plasma temperatures from 400 K to 107 K with an estimated uncertainty of less than 27% at a 90% confidence level. We also provide a fit to our experimentally derived PRRC for use in plasma modeling codes.

We have measured electron impact ionization (EII) of the beryllium-like ion ${\mathrm{S}}^{12+}$. The use of an isotopically pure $A=33$ beam of ${\mathrm{S}}^{12+}$ ions is established as a method to eliminate all metastable levels, including the extremely long-lived metastable level $2s2p\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{}^{3}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}{P}_{0}$, which, for this isotope, decays by hyperfine-induced radiative transitions. The energy dependence and absolute size of the EII cross section were measured from the resulting pure ground-state population at energies from below the threshold at $\ensuremath{\approx}$ 652.2 eV up to 3000 eV. These data provide an experimental benchmark for theory.

An overview of recent developments is given for storage ring experiments on dissociative recombination using fast merged ion and electron beams. Dynamical aspects of the process are outlined, demonstrating that fast-beam reaction studies can advance the understanding of basic mechanisms holding generally for the fragmentation of electronically excited molecular systems. Experiments yield the collision energy dependence of the process, including rich resonant structure, product branching ratios of the fragmentation, and fragment momenta which also reveal the internal excitation of the fragments. Using cold electron beams and imaging detectors capable of fragment mass recognition at high readout speed, recent detailed fast-beam fragmentation experiments address the dissociative recombination of multielectron diatomic and polyatomic ions. Some of their results are presented together with an outlook on experiments at upcoming storage ring facilities.

Dielectronic recombination (DR) of xenonlike W20+ forming W19+ has been studied experimentally at a heavy-ion storage-ring. A merged-beams method has been employed for obtaining absolute rate coefficients for electron-ion recombination in the collision energy range 0-140 eV. The measured rate coefficient is dominated by strong DR resonances even at the lowest experimental energies. At plasma temperatures where the fractional abundance of W20+ is expected to peak in a fusion plasma, the experimentally derived plasma recombination rate coefficient is over a factor of 4 larger than the theoretically-calculated rate coefficient which is currently used in fusion plasma modeling. The largest part of this discrepancy stems most probably from the neglect in the theoretical calculations of DR associated with fine-structure excitations of the W20+([Kr] 4d10 4f8) ion core., Comment: 7 pagers, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review A

Individual product channels in the dissociative recombination of deuterated hydronium ions and cold electrons are studied in an ion storage ring by velocity imaging using spatial and mass-sensitive detection of the neutral reaction fragments. Initial and final molecular excitation are analyzed, finding the outgoing water molecules to carry internal excitation of more than 3 eV in 90% of the recombination events. Initial rotation is found to be substantial and in three-body breakup strongly asymmetric energy repartition among the deuterium products is enhanced for hot parent ions.

Individual product channels in the dissociative recombination of deuterated hydronium ions and cold electrons are studied in an ion storage ring by velocity imaging using spatial and mass-sensitive detection of the neutral reaction fragments. Initial and final molecular excitation are analyzed, finding the outgoing water molecules to carry internal excitation of more than 3 eV in 90% of the recombination events. Initial rotation is found to be substantial and in three-body breakup strongly asymmetric energy repartition among the deuterium products is enhanced for hot parent ions.

We report on an energy-sensitive imaging detector for studying the fragmentation of polyatomic molecules in the dissociative recombination of fast molecular ions with electrons. The system is based on a large area (10 cm x 10 cm) position-sensitive, double-sided Si-strip detector with 128 horizontal and 128 vertical strips, whose pulse height information is read out individually. The setup allows to uniquely identify fragment masses and is thus capable of measuring branching ratios between different fragmentation channels, kinetic energy releases, as well as breakup geometries, as a function of the relative ion-electron energy. The properties of the detection system, which has been installed at the TSR storage ring facility of the Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, is illustrated by an investigation of the dissociative recombination of the deuterated triatomic hydrogen cation D2H+. A huge isotope effect is observed when comparing the relative branching ratio between the D2+H and the HD+D channel; the ratio 2B(D2+H)/B(HD+D), which is measured to be 1.27 +/- 0.05 at relative electron-ion energies around 0 eV, is found to increase to 3.7 +/- 0.5 at ~5 eV., 11 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Physical Review A

An experimental study is reported about the recombination of $\text{D}_{3}{}^{+}$ ions with electrons in a low-temperature plasma (200--300 K) consisting of He with a small admixture of ${\text{D}}_{2}$. At several temperatures, the pressure dependence of the apparent binary recombination rate coefficient $({\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\text{eff}})$ was measured over a broad range of helium pressures (200--2000 Pa). The binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients were obtained from measured pressure dependences of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\text{eff}}$. The binary recombination rate coefficient obtained ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{\text{bin}}(300\text{ }\text{K})=(2.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}\text{ }{\text{cm}}^{3}\text{ }{\text{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is in agreement with recent theory. The ternary recombination rate coefficient obtained is ${K}_{\text{He}}(300\text{ }\text{K})=(1.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}\text{ }{\text{cm}}^{6}\text{ }{\text{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. In analogy with the recently described process of helium-assisted ternary recombination of $\text{H}_{3}{}^{+}$ ions, it is suggested that the ternary helium-assisted recombination of $\text{D}_{3}{}^{+}$ ions proceeds through the formation of a neutral long-lived highly excited Rydberg molecule ${\text{D}}_{3}$ followed by a collision with a He atom.

We study binary and the recently discovered process of ternary He-assisted recombination of $\text{H}_{3}{}^{+}$ ions with electrons in a low-temperature afterglow plasma. The experiments are carried out over a broad range of pressures and temperatures of an afterglow plasma in a helium buffer gas. Binary and He-assisted ternary recombination are observed and the corresponding recombination rate coefficients are extracted for temperatures from 77 to 330 K. We describe the observed ternary recombination as a two-step mechanism: first, a rotationally excited long-lived neutral molecule $\text{H}_{3}{}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}$ is formed in electron-$\text{H}_{3}{}^{+}$ collisions. Second, the $\text{H}_{3}{}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}$ molecule collides with a helium atom that leads to the formation of a very long-lived Rydberg state with high orbital momentum. We present calculations of the lifetimes of $\text{H}_{3}{}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}$ and of the ternary recombination rate coefficients for para- and ortho-$\text{H}_{3}{}^{+}$. The calculations show a large difference between the ternary recombination rate coefficients of ortho- and para-$\text{H}_{3}{}^{+}$ at temperatures below 300 K. The measured binary and ternary rate coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the calculated values.

As a step towards in situ probing of the rotational-state distribution of H3+ ions in a stored beam, we have realized their photodissociation in a storage ring by a parallel ultraviolet laser beam. The decay of the photodissociation signal of H3+ for 4.9 eV photons into the channel H+2 + H was identified and showed a time constant of about 2 ms, typical for vibrational levels of H3+ over a wide range of binding energies. The photodissociation products of H3+ at this photon energy were further investigated for a single pass ion beam by kinetic energy release and charge-exchange measurements.

The dissociative recombination of the lowest rotational states of H3+ has been investigated at the storage ring TSR using a cryogenic 22-pole radiofrequency ion trap as injector. The H3+ was cooled with buffer gas at ~15 K to the lowest rotational levels, (J,G)=(1,0) and (1,1), which belong to the ortho and para proton-spin symmetry, respectively. The rate coefficients and dissociation dynamics of H3+(J,G) populations produced with normal- and para-H2 were measured and compared to the rate and dynamics of a hot H3+ beam from a Penning source. The production of cold H3+ rotational populations was separately studied by rovibrational laser spectroscopy using chemical probing with argon around 55 K. First results indicate a ~20% relative increase of the para contribution when using para-H2 as parent gas. The H3+ rate coefficient observed for the para-H2 source gas, however, is quite similar to the H3+ rate for the normal-H2 source gas. The recombination dynamics confirm that for both source gases, only small populations of rotationally excited levels are present. The distribution of 3-body fragmentation geometries displays a broad part of various triangular shapes with an enhancement of ~12% for events with symmetric near-linear configurations. No large dependences on internal state or collision energy are found., 10 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Journal of Physics: Conference Proceedings

On a dense energy grid reaching up to 75 meV electron collision energy the fragmentation angle and the kinetic energy release of neutral dissociative recombination fragments have been studied in a twin merged beam experiment. The anisotropy described by Legendre polynomials and the extracted rotational state contributions were found to vary on a likewise narrow energy scale as the rotationally averaged rate coefficient. For the first time angular dependences higher than 2$^{nd}$ order could be deduced. Moreover, a slight anisotropy at zero collision energy was observed which is caused by the flattened velocity distribution of the electron beam., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; The Article will be published in the proceedings of DR 2007, a symposium on Dissociative Recombination held in Ameland, The Netherlands (18.-23. July 2008); Reference 19 has been published meanwhile in S. Novotny, PRL 100, 193201 (2008)

We have systematically investigated the energy resolution of a magnetic micro-calorimeter (MMC) for atomic and molecular projectiles at impact energies ranging from $E\approx13$ to 150 keV. For atoms we obtained absolute energy resolutions down to $\Delta E \approx 120$ eV and relative energy resolutions down to $\Delta E/E\approx10^{-3}$. We also studied in detail the MMC energy-response function to molecular projectiles of up to mass 56 u. We have demonstrated the capability of identifying neutral fragmentation products of these molecules by calorimetric mass spectrometry. We have modeled the MMC energy-response function for molecular projectiles and conclude that backscattering is the dominant source of the energy spread at the impact energies investigated. We have successfully demonstrated the use of a detector absorber coating to suppress such spreads. We briefly outline the use of MMC detectors in experiments on gas-phase collision reactions with neutral products. Our findings are of general interest for mass spectrometric techniques, particularly for those desiring to make neutral-particle mass measurements.

We demonstrate the capability of micro-calorimeters to detect and mass-resolve neutral atoms and molecules at ~ keV energies, reaching single H-atom resolution.

We have applied the method of foil-induced Coulomb Explosion Imaging (FCEI) to determine the handedness of a homochiral sample of the compound trans-2,3-dideuterooxirane C2OH2D2. We determined the compound to be of the (R, R)-econfiguration with a statistical significance of 5σ. As the molecular sample was chemically linked to the stereochemical reference standard glyceraldehyde, our assignment constitutes an independent verification of the absolute handedness of all compounds linked to this reference substance.

The cryogenic storage ring (CSR) for positive and negative atomic, molecular and cluster ions is starting operation at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg.

Electron-ion recombination of W19+ forming W18+ has been studied both experimentally and theoretically. An exceptionally large recombination rate coefficient was observed by the storage-ring experiment at zero electron-ion collision energy. It exceeds the expectation for nonresonant radiative recombination (RR) by more than two orders of magnitude. This follows the pattern seen previously for the neighboring charge states of tungsten. The results of our present theoretical calculations, which were carried-out within the Breit-Wigner partitioned framework for resonant electron-ion recombination of complex ions, agree with this observation.

We have experimentally investigated dissociative recombination of SH+ with low-energy electrons. The merged-beams rate coefficient was measured at the TSR ion storage ring in Heidelberg, Germany. From these data the cross section was extracted and used to generate a plasma rate coefficient for plasma temperatures down to 10 K, which are relevant for astrochemical models. Furthermore, we have determined branching ratios of product excitation states utilizing a novel analysis method for imaging data.