Experimental Investigation of Interference Effects in Electron Emission from O2 by Impact with MeV/u H+ and O5,8+ Ions

Author

Melike Winkworth

Date of Award

6-2009

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Physics

First Advisor

Dr. John A. Tanis

Second Advisor

Dr. Emanuel Kamber

Third Advisor

Dr. Thomas Gorczyca

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Campus Only

Abstract

Interference structures observed in the ejected electron spectra for fast projectiles colliding with diatomic molecular targets were analyzed for evidence of primary and secondary oscillations. First-order interferences, analogous to Young's two-slit experiment, are due to the coherent emission of an electron from the two nuclei of the molecular target in which the "slits" are the identical nuclei of the molecule separated by their internuclear distance. Second-order interferences generated by the electron wave emitted at one of the centers subsequently interfering with the wave backscattered at the other center can also occur. The present experiment was performed at Western Michigan University using the tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. In order to gain insight into the interference phenomena described above, emitted electron spectra were collected for 3 MeV/u H⁺ + O₂ and 30 MeV (~ 1.9 MeV/u) O^5,8+ + O₂, and examined at different electron observation angles. The results apparently show no first-order interferences. However, oscillatory structures attributed to second-order interferences are observed in agreement with previous results reported for 3 MeV/u H⁺ + N₂.

Recommended Citation

Winkworth, Melike, "Experimental Investigation of Interference Effects in Electron Emission from O2 by Impact with MeV/u H+ and O5,8+ Ions" (2009). Masters Theses. 242.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/242