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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry With Tunable Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Synchrotron Radiation
Published on: October 30, 2012
Total, partial, and electron-capture cross sections for ionization of water vapor by 20-150 keV protons
F Gobet1, B Farizon, M Farizon
1Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, IN2P3-CNRS et Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
Abstract:
We present experimental results for proton ionization of water molecules based on a novel event by event analysis of the different ions produced (and lost). We are able to obtain mass analyzed product ion signals (e.g., H2O+, OH+, O+, O++, H+) in coincidence with the projectile analyzed after the collision, i.e., either being H+, neutral H after single electron capture during the ionization event, or H- after double electron capture. After proper calibration we are thus able to determine a complete set of cross sections for the ionization of a molecular target by protons including the total and the partial cross sections and in addition also the direct ionization and the electron capture cross sections.
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