High LET highly charged ion-induced ionization and fragmentation of water molecules and clusters

Abstract : Kinematically complete experiments lead to very substantial progress in the understanding of decay dynamics of multiply charged molecular ions. This paper is devoted to the study of dissociative ionization of water molecules and clusters induced by highly charged ions. We will present first how experimental results determined in the gas phase can provide information about the physical stage of liquid water radiolysis. Second, we will discuss strong bond cleavage selectivity in ion-induced dissociation of deuterium tagged water molecule. Finally, we will present first promising results about water cluster dissociative ionization. Stability, energetics and charge mobility in the charged cluster will be briefly discussed.