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We have studied the mutual neutralization reaction of vibronically cold NO+ with O- at a collision energy of approximate to 0.1 eV and under single-collision conditions. The reaction is completely dominated by production of three ground-state atomic fragments. We employ product-momentum analysis in the framework of a simple model, which assumes the anion acts only as an electron donor and the product neutral molecule acts as a free rotor, to conclude that the process occurs in a two-step mechanism via an intermediate Rydberg state of NO which subsequently fragments.

Mutual neutralization of hydronium (H3O+) and hydroxide (OH−) ions is a very fundamental chemical reaction. Yet, there is only limited experimental evidence about the underlying reaction mechanisms. Here, we report three-dimensional imaging of coincident neutral products of mutual-neutralization reactions at low collision energies of cold and isolated ions in the cryogenic double electrostatic ion-beam storage ring (DESIREE). We identified predominant H2O + OH + H and 2OH + H2 product channels and attributed them to an electron-transfer mechanism, whereas a minor contribution of H2O + H2O with high internal excitation was attributed to proton transfer. The reported mechanism-resolved internal product excitation, as well as collision-energy and initial ion-temperature dependence, provide a benchmark for modeling charge-transfer mechanisms.

We have studied the stability of the smallest long-lived all carbon molecular dianion () in new time domains and with a single ion at a time using a cryogenic electrostatic ion-beam storage ring. We observe spontaneous electron emission from internally excited dianions on millisecond timescales and monitor the survival of single colder molecules on much longer timescales. We find that their intrinsic lifetime exceeds several minutes—6 orders of magnitude longer than established from earlier experiments on . This is consistent with our calculations of vertical electron detachment energies predicting one inherently stable isomer and one isomer which is stable or effectively stable behind a large Coulomb barrier for →+e− separation.

In this work we perform the first demonstration of gear-changing in a real world collider. Gear-changing refers to a collision scheme where each ring of a collider stores a different harmonic number of bunches. These bunches are kept synchronized using different velocities. Such a system has been theorized, but has now been demonstrated using the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment (DESIREE) in Stockholm Sweden. The experiment was able to demonstrate a gear-changing system, with both four on three bunches and five on four bunches. We determined a measurable parameter that shows a gear-changing system out to 37500 turns of the slow beam (1 s). We were also able to detect a measurable longitudinal beam-beam interaction. We developed insights into how to control this type of system, opening up new possibilities, and showing that DESIREE can be used for gear-changing research.

We present experimental final-state distributions for Mg atoms formed in Mg+ + D- mutual neutralization reactions at center-of-mass collision energies of 59 +/- 12 meV by using the merged-beams method. Comparisons with available full-quantum results reveal large discrepancies and a previously underestimated total rate coefficient by up to a factor of 2 in the 0-1 eV (< 10(4) K) regime. Asymptotic model calculations arc shown to describe the process much better and we recommend applying this method to more complex iron group systems; data that is of urgent need in stellar spectral modeling.

The mutual neutralisation of O+ with O- has been studied in a double ion-beam storage ring with combined merged-beams, imaging and timing techniques. Branching ratios were measured at the collision energies of 55, 75 and 170 (_15) meV, and found to be in good agreement with previous single-pass merged-beams experimental results at 7 meV collision energy1. Several previously unidentified spectral features were found to correspond to mutual neutralisation channels of the first metastable state of the cation (O+(2Do), t _ 3.6 hours), while no contributions from the second metastable state (O+(2Po), t _ 5 seconds) were observed. Theoretical calculations were performed using the multi-channel Landau-Zener model combined with the anion centered asymptotic method, and gave good agreement with several experimentally observed channels, but could not describe well observed contributions from the O+(2Do) metastable state as well as channels involving the O(3s 5So) state.

We have developed an experimental technique to study charge-and energy-flow processes in sub-eV collisions between oppositely charged, internally cold, ions of atoms, molecules, and clusters. Two ion beams are stored in separate rings of the cryogenic ion-beam storage facility DESIREE, and merged in a common straight section where a set of biased drift tubes is used to control the center-of-mass collision energy locally in fine steps. Here, we present measurements on mutual neutralization between Li+ and D- where a time-sensitive imaging-detector system is used to measure the three-dimensional distance between the neutral Li and D atoms as they reach the detector. This scheme allows for direct measurements of kinetic-energy releases, and here it reveals separate populations of the 3s state and the (3p + 3d) states in neutral Li while the D atom is left in its ground state 1s. The branching fraction of the 3s final state is measured to be 57.8 +/- 0.7% at a center-of-mass collision energy of 78 +/- 13 meV. The technique paves the way for studies of charge-, energy-, and mass-transfer reactions in single collisions involving molecular and cluster ions in well-defined quantum states.

A sputter ion source with a solid graphite target has been used to produce dianions with a focus on carbon cluster dianions, C-n(2-), with n = 7-24. Singly and doubly charged anions from the source were accelerated together to kinetic energies of 10 keV per atomic unit of charge and injected into one of the cryogenic (13 K) ion-beam storage rings of the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring Experiment facility at Stockholm University. Spontaneous decay of internally hot C-n(2-) dianions injected into the ring yielded C-n(2-) anions with kinetic energies of 20 keV, which were counted with a microchannel plate detector. Mass spectra produced by scanning the magnetic field of a 90 degrees analyzing magnet on the ion injection line reflect the production of internally hot C-7(2-) - C-24(2-) dianions with lifetimes in the range of tens of microseconds to milliseconds. In spite of the high sensitivity of this method, no conclusive evidence of C-6(2-) was found while there was a clear C-7(2-) signal with the expected isotopic distribution. This is consistent with earlier experimental studies and with theoretical predictions. An upper limit is deduced for a C-6(2-) signal that is two orders-of-magnitude smaller than that for C-7(2-). In addition, CnO2- and CnCu2- dianions were detected.

We apply near-threshold laser photodetachment to characterize the rotational quantum level distribution of OH- ions stored in the cryogenic ion-beam storage ring DESIREE at Stockholm University. We find that the stored ions relax to a rotational temperature of 13.4 +/- 0.2 K with 94.9 +/- 0.3% of the ions in the rotational ground state. This is consistent with the storage ring temperature of 13.5 +/- 0.5 K as measured with eight silicon diodes but in contrast to all earlier studies in cryogenic traps and rings where the rotational temperatures were always much higher than those of the storage devices at their lowest temperatures. Furthermore, we actively modify the rotational distribution through selective photodetachment to produce an OH- beam where 99.1 +/- 0.1% of approximately one million stored ions are in the J = 0 rotational ground state. We measure the intrinsic lifetime of the J = 1 rotational level to be 145 +/- 28 s.

The intrinsic lifetime of the upper level in the bound-bound 3d(9) 4s(2) D-2(3/2) -> 3d(9) 4s(2) D-2(5/2) radiative transition in Ni- was measured to be 15.1 +/- 0.4 s. The experiment was performed at cryogenic temperatures in one of the ion-beam storage rings of the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment facility at Stockholm University. The storage lifetime of the Ni- ion beam was measured to be close to 5 min at a ring temperature of 13 K.

The intrinsic radiative lifetimes of the 5d(10)6s(2)S(1/2) and 5d(9)6s(2) D-2(3/2) bound excited states in the platinum anion Pt- have been studied at cryogenic temperatures at the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring Experiment (DESIREE) facility at Stockholm University. The intrinsic lifetime of the higher-lying 5d(10)6s S-2(1/2) state was measured to be 2.54 +/- 0.10 s, while only a lifetime in the range of 50-200 ms could be estimated for the 5d(9)6s(2) D-2(3/2) fine-structure level. The storage lifetime of the Pt- ion beam was measured to be a little over 15 min at a ring temperature of 13 K. The present study reports the lifetime of an atomic negative ion in an excited bound state with an electron configuration different from that of the ground state.

The exploration of the unique properties of stored and cooled beams of highly-charged ions as provided by heavy-ion storage rings has opened novel and fascinating research opportunities in the realm of atomic and nuclear physics research. Since the late 1980s, pioneering work has been performed at the CRYRING at Stockholm (Abrahamsson et al. 1993) and at the Test Storage Ring (TSR) at Heidelberg (Baumann et al. 1988). For the heaviest ions in the highest charge-states, a real quantum jump was achieved in the early 1990s by the commissioning of the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt (Franzke 1987) where challenging experiments on the electron dynamics in the strong field regime as well as nuclear physics studies on exotic nuclei and at the borderline to atomic physics were performed. Meanwhile also at Lanzhou a heavy-ion storage ring has been taken in operation, exploiting the unique research opportunities in particular for medium-heavy ions and exotic nuclei (Xia et al. 2002).

Here we will briefly describe the commissioning of the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment (DESIREE) facility at Stockholm University, Sweden. This device uses purely electrostatic focussing and deflection elements and allows ion beams of opposite charge to be confined under extreme high vacuum and cryogenic conditions in separate rings and then merged over a common straight section. This apparatus allows for studies of interactions between cations and anions at very low and well-defined centre-of-mass energies (down to a few meV) and at very low internal temperatures (down to a few K)., AuthorCount:35

In 2012 the CRYRING storage ring was delivered from Stockholm to Darmstadt as a part of the Swedish in-kind contribution to the FAIR project. The ring lattice has been slightly changed for optimal injection and to provide additional space for experiment equipment. For the injection from the experimental storage ring (ESR), a new transfer line has been designed. The local injector line has been significantly modified compared to the previous one in Stockholm taking into account the geometry of the existing GSI building. In this paper we present the ion-optical properties of CRYRING@ESR after the described modifications. Single-turn injection from the ESR and multi-turn injection from the local injector are discussed. Ion-optical calculations of fast and slow extraction from CRYRING are also presented. The closed orbit correction scheme is considered taking into account the future arrangement of the beam position monitors and correction magnets. Based on the results of the calculations the requirements for the magnet alignment are finally discussed.

The former storage ring CRYRING has been shipped from the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory in Stockholm to Darmstadt as a Swedish in-kind contribution to FAIR. At its new location downstream of ESR all ion species presently accessible in ESR can be transferred to CRYRING, in which ions with rigidities between 1.44 and 0.054 Tm can be stored. The original Swedish layout has been modified by reconfiguring the sequence of straight sections and by slightly increasing the circumference to ESR/2. Ions can be injected from ESR or from an independent 300 keV/u RFQ test injector. The instrumentation of the ring includes an RF drift tube system for acceleration and deceleration (1 T s(-1), with a possibility for an upgrade to 7 T s(-1)), electron cooling, a free experimental section, and both fast and slow extraction of ions. We report on the present progress of this project, give a prospective timeline, and summarize the new research which will be enabled by this project. First beam for commissioning of the storage ring is expected for 2015, final bakeout to restore ultrahigh vacuum conditions in 2016 and ion beams injected through ESR in similar to 2017.

An investigation into the dissociative recombination process for (HCO+)-C-13 using merged ion-electron beam methods has been performed at the heavy ion storage ring CRYRING, Stockholm, Sweden. We have measured the branching fractions of the different product channels at similar to 0 eV collision energy to be the following: CO + H 87 +/- 2%, OH + C 9 +/- 2%, and O + CH 4 +/- 2%. The formation of electronically excited CO in the dominant reaction channel has also been studied, and we report the following tentative branching fractions for the different CO product electronic states: CO(X (1)Sigma(+)) + H, 54 +/- 10%; CO(a (3)Pi) + H, 23 +/- 4%; and CO(a' (3)Sigma(+)) + H, 23 +/- 4%. The absolute cross section between similar to 2-50 000 meV was measured and showed resonance structures between 3 and 15 eV. The cross section was fitted in the energy range relevant to astrophysics, i.e., between 1 and 300 meV, and was found to follow the expression sigma = 1.3 +/- 0.3 X 10(-16) E-1.29 +/- 0.05 cm(2) and the corresponding thermal rate constant was determined to be k(T) = 2.0 +/- 0.4 X 10(-7)(T/300)(-0.79 +/- 0.05) cm(3) s(-1). Radioastronomical observations with the IRAM 30 m telescope of HCO+ toward the Red Rectangle yielded an upper column density limit of 4 X 10(11) cm(-2) of HCO+ at the 1 sigma level in that object, indicating that previous claims that the dissociative recombination of HCO+ plays an important role in the production of excited CO molecules emitting the observed Cameron bands in that object are not supported.

We report on the ongoing commissioning of the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment, DESIREE, at Stockholm University. Beams of atomic carbon anions (C-) and smaller carbon anion molecules (C-2(-), C-3(-), C-4(-) etc.) have been produced in a sputter ion source, accelerated to 10 keV or 20 keV, and stored successfully in the two electrostatic rings. The rings are enclosed in a common vacuum chamber cooled to below 13 Kelvin. The DESIREE facility allows for studies of internally relaxed single isolated atomic, molecular and cluster ions and for collision experiments between cat-and anions down to very low center-of-mass collision energies (meV scale). The total thermal load of the vacuum chamber at this temperature is measured to be 32 W. The decay rates of stored ion beams have two components: a non-exponential component caused by the space charge of the beam itself which dominates at early times and an exponential term from the neutralization of the beam in collisions with residual gas at later times. The residual gas limited storage lifetime of carbon anions in the symmetric ring is over seven minutes while the 1/e lifetime in the asymmetric ring is measured to be about 30 seconds. Although we aim to improve the storage in the second ring, the number of stored ions are now sufficient for many merged beams experiments with positive and negative ions requiring milliseconds to seconds ion storage., AuthorCount:34

We have stored the first beams in one of the rings of the double electrostatic ion-storage ring, DESIREE at cryogenic and at room temperature conditions. At cryogenic operations the following parameters are found. Temperature; T= 13K, pressure; p <10(-13) mbar, initial number of stored ions; N > 10(7) and storage lifetime of a C-2(-) beam; tau = 450 S., AuthorCount:29

We report on the first storage of ion beams in the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment, DESIREE, at Stockholm University. We have produced beams of atomic carbon anions and small carbon anion molecules (C-n(-), n = 1, 2, 3, 4) in a sputter ion source. The ion beams were accelerated to 10 keV kinetic energy and stored in an electrostatic ion storage ring enclosed in a vacuum chamber at 13 K. For 10 keV C-2(-) molecular anions we measure the residual-gas limited beam storage lifetime to be 448 s +/- 18 s with two independent detector systems. Using the measured storage lifetimes we estimate that the residual gas pressure is in the 10(-14) mbar range. When high current ion beams are injected, the number of stored particles does not follow a single exponential decay law as would be expected for stored particles lost solely due to electron detachment in collision with the residual-gas. Instead, we observe a faster initial decay rate, which we ascribe to the effect of the space charge of the ion beam on the storage capacity., AuthorCount:34

We report on an experimental investigation of 1.04 MeV H++N2 electron transfer collisions. The fast protons were stored in the electron-cooler ion-storage ring, CRYRING and the molecular nitrogen target was provided with a supersonic gas jet. We report momentum distributions of atomic nitrogen dissociation products Nq+ with charge states q+ (q=1, 2, 3) which are detected in coincidence with neutralized projectiles. Further, we investigate the influence of the angle between the direction of the incoming projectile beam and the target molecular axis. The orientation of the latter is determined a posteriorly from the momentum vector of one emitted atomic nitrogen fragment ion. We find signicantly higher total yields, dominated by N+, of charged atomic dissociation products when the N2 molecular axis is perpendicular to the incoming H+-beam. The relative contributions from N2+- and N3+- fragments, however, are strongest when the N2 axis is aligned -or close to aligned- with the ion beam. This, we suggest, is due to increased probabilities for formation of two-site double-core-hole states.