Multi-Ion Coincidence Measurements of Methyl Chloride Following Photofragmentation Near the Chlorine K Edge

Relaxation dynamics of CH3Cl following core-shell photoexcitation in the neighbourhood of the chlorine K-edge (≈2:8 keV) were studied via multi-ion coincidence measurements using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The data provide evidence for sequential fragmentation moderated by Coulombic interactions among the fragments. The sequential nature of the fragmentation indicates that chemical forces, especially between the carbon and chlorine atoms, are dominant in determining the kinematics of the fragmentation. This is especially true on resonance where fast dissociation is observed following electron excitations to the 8a1 antibonding orbital