High-resolution electron–multi-ion coincidence set-up for gas-phase experiments in the tender and hard X-ray range
: Kukk, Edwin; Vacheresse, Regis; Ismail, Iyas; Marchenko, Tatiana; Guillemin, Renaud; Piancastelli, Maria Novella; Simon, Marc; Travnikova, Oksana
Publisher: International Union of Crystallography (IUCr)
: 2025
: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
: 32
: 4
: 1017
: 1027
: 1600-5775
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577525004862
: https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600577525004862
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499662546
The MUSTACHE setup (MUlti-STep photofragmentation studies by Auger electron–ion Coincidences using High Energy photons) is a high-resolution electron–multi-ion coincidence system optimized for gas-phase experiments in the tender (∼2–10 keV) and hard (>5 keV) X-ray range. The system integrates a high-resolution hemispherical electron analyzer with a Wiley–McLaren-type ion time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer, enabling coincidence measurements of Auger electrons and high-energy photoelectrons. Designed to overcome challenges in high-energy electron detection while maintaining excellent energy resolution, the setup covers a broad kinetic energy range up to 5 keV, allowing investigation of hard-X-ray-induced Auger cascades in molecules containing high-Z elements, where initial fluorescence decay is followed by Auger processes within this 5 keV detection window. The ion TOF spectrometer provides high-resolution ion mass and momentum analysis, essential for studying light and fast ions generated by deep-core ionization. System capabilities are demonstrated through test measurements on benchmark atomic and molecular systems, such as argon, nitrogen and carbon disulfide. These measurements demonstrate energy-resolved high-kinetic-energy photoelectron–ion coincidences and momentum-resolved multi-ion coincidences following deep-core ionization and Coulomb explosion. MUSTACHE enables investigations into deep-core ionization, Auger cascade processes and Coulomb explosion dynamics in isolated gas-phase species, offering insights into fundamental ionization and fragmentation processes. These results demonstrate that the MUSTACHE setup is a powerful tool for high-resolution electron–ion coincidence spectroscopy, extending advanced coincidence techniques into the hard X-ray regime and providing unprecedented opportunities for studying high-energy X-ray-induced phenomena.
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OT acknowledges funding by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) through the MUSTACHE grant ANR-18-CE30-0015 and financial support from the Plas@Par 2022 call for the project on ion extraction in electron–ion coincidence measurements.