Macrocluster desorption effect caused by single MCI: charges of gold clusters (2–20 nm) desorbed due to electronic processes induced by fission fragment bombardment in nanodispersed gold targets

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 1999-08, Vol.157 (1), p.167-173
• Main Authors: Baranov, I, Jarmiychuk, S, Kirillov, S, Novikov, A, Obnorskii, V, Pchelintsev, A, Wien, K, Reimann, C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cluster ion charge state; Fission fragment bombardment; Nanodispersed metal targets; Nanometer cluster desorption
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-583X(99)00457-7

In this work the charge state of the negatively charged gold nanocluster ions (2–20 nm) that were desorbed from nanodispersed gold islet targets by 252Cf fission fragments via electronic processes is studied. Mean cluster charge 〈 q〉 was calculated as a ratio of mean cluster mass 〈 m〉 to mean mass-to-charge ratio 〈 m/ q〉. Cluster masses were measured by means of a collector technique employing transmission electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy, while m/ q was measured by means of a tandem TOF-spectrometer. It is shown that the nanocluster ions are mostly multiply charged (2–16e) and the charge increases non-linearly with the cluster size. The results are discussed.