Differential multi-electron emission induced by swift highly charged gold ions penetrating carbon foils

First results on swift heavy ion induced electron emission from solids obtained with a reaction microscope are presented. This advanced technique, which is successfully used since quite some time to study electron ejection in ion–atom collisions, combines the measurement of the time-of-flight of electrons with imaging techniques. A combination of electric and magnetic fields guides the ejected electrons onto a position sensitive detector, which is capable to accept multiple hits. From position and time-of-flight measurement the full differential emission characteristics of up to 10 electrons per single incoming ion can be extracted. As a first example, we show energy spectra, angular distributions and the multiplicity distribution of electrons from impact of Au24+ (11 MeV/u) on a thin carbon foil (28 μg/cm2).