Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
MeV negative ion source from ultra-intense laser-matter interaction
S Ter-Avetisyan1, B Ramakrishna, D Doria
1School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT71NN, United Kingdom. s.teravetisyan@qub.ac.uk
Abstract:
Experimental demonstration of negative ion acceleration to MeV energies from sub-micron size droplets of water spray irradiated by ultra-intense laser pulses is presented. Thanks to the specific target configuration and laser parameters, more than 10(9) negative ions per steradian solid angle in 5% energy bandwidth are accelerated in a stable and reliable manner. To our knowledge, by virtue of the ultra-short duration of the emission, this is by far the brightest negative ion source reported. The data also indicate the existence of beams of neutrals with at least similar numbers and energies.
Related Concept Videos
Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry
Mass Spectrometers
Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI)
Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS): Overview
Van de Graaff Generator
Van de Graaff uses both smooth and pointed surfaces, conductors, and insulators to generate large static charges and, hence, large voltages. A substantial excess charge can be deposited on the sphere because it moves...
Mass Spectrum: Interpretation

