Ionization and fragmentation of CH4 by proton impact

• Fragmentation cross section for CH4 in collisions with protons.
• Ionization to be the dominant reaction.
• Total cross section show a dip in the cross section measurements at about 4 keV.

Total ionization and fragmentation cross sections for proton impact on CH4 within the energy range of 2–10 keV have been measured. Present results identify the ionization channel to be the dominant processes. Decay routs leading to the fragments CH3+, CH2+, CH+CH+, C+C+and H+H+, points to a decreasing cross sections relative to that of ionization. Present total cross section was found to agree with pervious experimental investigations. Structure within our present total cross sections was explained with respect to interference between competing different dissociating paths of fragments as well as transition between initial and final states as well as with scattering amplitude corresponding to different reaction pathways. Comparison with suggested theoretical model points to similar trends in the total absolute fragments cross sections.

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