Studies of electron-impact dissociative excitation and ionization using the crossed electron-ion beams technique

Absolute cross sections for heavy ion fragment production due to electron-impact dissociation of XH₂⁺ (X = B, C, N, O, F), N₂D⁺ and O₃⁺ have been investigated with the crossed electron-ion beams technique in the energy range 3 - 100 eV. This energy regime covers the dissociative excitation and ionization processes. Two and three-body dissociation channels are observed in these systems and marked resonant-like structure is also observed in the dissociative excitation channels of some systems. It is unclear if direct excitation or resonant capture processes lead to these enhanced dissociative excitation cross sections.