Absolute partial cross sections for electron-impact ionization of CO from threshold to 1000 eV

M. A. Mangan, B. G. Lindsay, and R. F. Stebbings

J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 33, 3225-3234 (2000)

Absolute partial cross sections for electron-impact ionization of CO are reported for electron energies from threshold to 1000 eV. The product ions are mass analyzed using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer and detected with a position-sensitive detector whose output unequivocally demonstrates that the various product ions are collected with equal efficiency irrespective of their initial kinetic energies. Data are presented for the production of CO+, C+, O+, and CO2+, and for the total cross section which is obtained as the sum of these partial cross sections. The overall uncertainty in the absolute cross section values is ±5% for singly charged parent ions and ±6% for fragment ions. Comparison is made with prior experiments and calculations.