Molecular ion collision chemistry in CH4 ionization and dissociation

The use of the 90° hemispheric electrostatic high resolution analyzer in conjunction with the time-of-flight (TOF) technique allowed us to identify various species associated with the ionization of methane molecular gas by a pulsed fast 19 MeV F4+ beam. We were able to measure the yields of single and double ionization-dissociation species of H+, H2+, C+, C2+, CH+, CH2+, CH3+, CH4+ and CH42+. We reported the single- and total ionization cross sections of CH4+ and the daughter ions- CH3+, CH2+, CH+ and C+. Our results show that the single ionization cross sections of CH4+ and CH3+ are in good accord with those found in literature, however, the cross sections of CH2+, CH+ and C+ are in disagreement with the ones found in literature.