Ionization of Methane in Strong and Ultrastrong Relativistic Fields

Journal Article · Fri May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.100.183001· OSTI ID:21128123

Palaniyappan, Sasi; Mitchell, Rob; Sauer, Rob; Ghebregziabher, Isaac; White, Samantha L; Decamp, M F; Walker, B C ^[1]

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1. Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (United States)

The photoionization of methane is reported for intensities up to 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} with linear and circular polarized light. While fragmental ions (e.g., CH{sub 3}{sup +}, CH{sup +}, C{sup +}, C{sup 2+}) created from 10{sup 14} W/cm{sup 2} to 10{sup 15} W/cm{sup 2} are formed by Coulomb explosion, ionization to form C{sup 3+} and C{sup 4+} involves Coulomb explosion and tunneling ionization. In ultrastrong fields, removal of a carbon K-shell electron from methane proceeds via tunneling and rescattering ionization, without the influence of molecular channels. Photoelectrons from methane at 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} extend up to kinetic energies of 0.6 MeV.

• OSTI ID: 21128123
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 18; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.183001; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CARBON
CARBON IONS
ELECTRONS
EXPLOSIONS
K SHELL
KINETIC ENERGY
METHANE
MEV RANGE
PHOTOIONIZATION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
RESCATTERING
TUNNEL EFFECT
VISIBLE RADIATION