Coulomb explosion of hexa-fluorobenzene induced by an intense laser field

Coulomb explosion of hexa-fluorobenzene in an intense laser field (1.0 × 1016 W cm−2) was investigated using time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The fluorine ions were mainly ejected parallel to the laser polarization, whereas the carbon ions were broadly distributed. The angular distribution features were totally different from those of benzene. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the substitution of fluorine atoms and/or ions caused ultrafast deformation of the carbon framework during the explosion. The effect of molecular alignment induced by the intense laser field is discussed.