Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Photofragment Imaging Fast Ion Beams, Michael D. Johnston Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Metal-containing ions have been the subject of much research due to their roles in catalytic activation and small cluster chemistries. However, they can be difficult to study both experimentally and theoretically, and new approaches are needed. The goal of the research described here is to characterize the electronic structures and thermodynamics of metal-containing ions using gas-phase spectroscopy experiments performed on a powerful new instrument. Presented in the following chapters are the details of a recently built velocity map imaging mass spectrometer that is capable of imaging the photofragments of trap-cooled (≥7K) ions produced in a versatile ion source. This instrument …