EVAPORATION OF C-4 (C-4(+)) FROM C-60(Z+)

Detailed analysis (kinetic energy release determination) and comparison with similar decay reactions (e.g., C-60(z+) --> C-58((z-1)+) + C-2(+)) have led to the conclusion that the metastable decay of multiply charged ions C-60(z+) --> C-56((z-1)+) (with z = 4,5 and 6) proceeds via a reaction sequence initiated by the statistical evaporation of a C-4 unit followed by a charge transfer reaction between the emitted C-4 and the remaining highly charged fullerene ion.