Observation of sequential three-body dissociation of camphor molecule—a native frame approach

Abstract The three-body dissociation dynamics of the dicationic camphor molecule (C 10 H 16 O 2+ ) resulting from Auger decay are investigated using soft x-ray synchrotron radiation. A photoelectron-photoion-photoion coincidence method, a combination of a velocity map imaging spectrometer and a time-of-flight spectrometer is employed to measure the 3D momenta of ions detected in coincidence. The ion mass spectra and the ion–ion coincidence map at photon energies of 287.9 eV (below the C 1s ionization potential) and 292.4 eV (above the C 1s ionization potential for skeletal carbon) reveal that fragmentation depends on the final dicationic state rather than the initial excitation. Using the native frame method, three new fragmentation channels are discussed; (1) CH 2 CO + + C 7 H <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>11</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> + CH 3 , (2) CH <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> + C 7 H <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>11</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> + CH 2 CO, and (3) C 2 H <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>5</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> + C 6 H <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mn>9</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> </mml:msubsup> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> + CH 2 CO. The dominating nature of sequential decay with deferred charge separation is clearly evidenced in all three channels. The results are discussed based on the experimental angular distributions and momenta distributions, corroborated by geometry optimization of the ground, monocationic, and dicationic camphor molecule.