Momentum imaging and kinetic energy release measurements for various fragmentation pathways in MeV energy proton collision with $SO_2$ molecule

Abstract

We have studied the ionization and fragmentation of $SO_2$ molecular target in collision with 1 MeV proton beam using the technique of recoil ion momentum spectroscopy. Fragmentation dynamics of doubly charged $SO_2^{2+}$ molecular ion has been investigated in detail using Dalitz plot and Newton diagrams. We have identified concerted and sequential dissociation pathways in three body dissociation of the parent molecular ion. 3D momentum distribution of all fragment particles, including the neutral atom, were obtained along with the kinetic energy release spectra for various fragmentation channels.