Abstract. A coincident time of flight technique is used to investigate fast ion-induced CO molecule fragmentation with swift and multicharged heavy ions. The results concern the strong interaction regime for which no data have yet been reported. Kinetic energy release distributions, branching ratios and multi-electron removal cross sections are determined for each dissociation channel of ions (Q = 2-9). The general trend, from the perturbative regime to the strong interaction regime, is analysed in the light of recent ion-atom advances. The use of recoil ion momentum spectroscopy to study one dissociative single ionization channel - with simultaneous excitation - greatly improves the experimental KER resolution. Furthermore, it allows a coincident measurement of the angular and kinetic energy release distributions. This technique is proved promising for molecular spectroscopy studies.

Print publication: Issue 3 (14 February 1999)
Received 14 July 1998, in final form 16 October 1998