Collective effects in electronic sputtering of organic molecular ions by fast incident cluster ions

Abstract
The collective sputtering effect of fast primary cluster ions on the yield of secondary molecular ions has been demonstrated for the first time. Results show that the sputtering yield of valine negative molecular ions per incident carbon atom, in a C+n incident cluster ion, increases with increasing n. The yield results are interpreted as a direct effect of the enhancement in the electronic stopping power per atom in cluster ions compared to atomic ions.