Liquid-metal ion source study of critical sizes or multiply charged positive ions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The authors present their liquid-metal ion source (LMIS) results on the critical size ncri(p)(X) above which, for a given charge state p and a given element X, the Xnp ions begin to be observed. Two metals, tin and copper, have been studied. The ncri(3)(Cu) value is interpreted by using a simple quantum mechanical calculation in which the molecular ions are supposed to be compact. The calculation takes into account the hopping of the electrons from site to site, the intraatomic dielectronic repulsion and the repulsion between atomic cores. The tin values are discussed in a qualitative way. Various elements show that these ions are non-compact.