C3and NCO(+,0,-) molecular-ion structure studies by Coulomb explosion

Abstract

Coulomb-exploded fragments of ${\mathrm{C}}_3^{+,0,-}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_4^{-}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_5^{-}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_6^{-}$, and ${\mathrm{NCO}}^{+,0,-}$, following stripping of high-energy molecular ions in a thin carbon foil, were recorded, first in plastic sheet detectors, and in later experiments with a new image-intensifying and digitizing system. All of the ions studied in detail, ${\mathrm{C}}_3$ and ${\mathrm{NCO}}^{+,0,-}$, appear to be formed in states of high bending excitations perhaps close to the dissociation limit. The intranuclear separations for the ${\mathrm{C}}_3$ species were found to be similar to that of normal neutral ${\mathrm{C}}_3$, 2.5(1) Å; and for the NCO species, rather small, 2.0(1) Å.