CARBON CLUSTER IMAGING AT THE WEIZMANN INSTITUTE COULOMB EXPLOSION SYSTEM

The structure of small carbon clusters (C(n), n = 3-8) has been studied using the Coulomb explosion imaging technique. The experimental system is based on the 14 MV Pelletron accelerator at the Weizmann Institute. Negative molecules are accelerated and photodetached by a laser beam inside the high voltage terminal of the accelerator. The neutral molecules are then electron stripped by passing through a thin Formvar target and the resulting atomic ions are collected by a new 3D multiparticle imaging detector. Nonlinear structures of C4 and C5 clusters were observed. New measurements of laser photodetachment thresholds for C(n) (n = 3-8) indicate that new compact isomers exist.