Bidirectional Ion Emission from Massive Gold Cluster Impacts on Nanometric Carbon Foils

Carbon cluster emission from thin carbon foils (5–40 nm) impacted by individual Au n +q cluster projectiles (95–125 qkeV, n/q = 3–200) reveals features regarding the energy deposition, projectile range, and projectile fate in the matter as a function of the projectile characteristics. For the first time, the secondary ion emission from thin foils has been monitored simultaneously in both forward and backward emission directions. The projectile range and depth of emission were examined as a function of projectile size, energy, and target thickness. A key finding is that the massive cluster impact develops very differently from that of a small polyatomic projectile. The range of the 125 qkeV Au100q +q (q ≈ 4) projectile is estimated to be 20 nm (well beyond the range of an equal velocity Au+), and projectile disintegration occurs at the exit of even a 5 nm thick foil.