Fragmentation of H2O molecules following the interaction with slow, highly charged Ne ions

We measured the energy and angular distribution of fragment ions from collisions of 2-90 keV Neq+ ions (q = 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) with H2O molecules. A strong dependence on the charge state of the incident ion was observed. The results are interpreted within the framework of a Coulomb explosion model. Deviations from this model in the energy and angular distribution of recoil ions are attributed to post-collision effects by the electric field of the projectile. Absolute cross sections for ion production were measured and found to be consistent with the cross sections calculated using the classical over-barrier model