Comparison of the experimental and simulated covariance maps O Kornilov M Siano L Foucar J Klei A Rouzée K Motomura C P Schulz M Rosenblatt M Eckstein A Lübcke 10.6084/m9.figshare.1012480.v1 https://iop.figshare.com/articles/figure/_Comparison_of_the_experimental_and_simulated_covariance_maps/1012480 <p><strong>Figure 8.</strong> Comparison of the experimental and simulated covariance maps. (a) Experimental partial covariance map (same as figure <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/0953-4075/46/16/164028/article#jpb470391f4" target="_blank">4</a>(f)). (b) Simulated coincidence map, which avoids most of the artefacts present in the covariance maps. (c) Simulated partial covariance map showing the effect of intensity correlations similar to that observed experimentally.</p> <p><strong>Abstract</strong></p> <p>Single-shot time-of-flight spectra for Coulomb explosion of N<sub>2</sub> and I<sub>2</sub> molecules have been recorded at the Free Electron LASer in Hamburg (FLASH) and have been analysed using a partial covariance mapping technique. The partial covariance analysis unravels a detailed picture of all significant Coulomb explosion pathways, extending up to the N<sup>4+</sup>–N<sup>5+</sup> channel for nitrogen and up to the I<sup>8+</sup>–I<sup>9+</sup> channel for iodine. The observation of the latter channel is unexpected if only sequential ionization processes from the ground state ions are considered. The maximum kinetic energy release extracted from the covariance maps for each dissociation channel shows that Coulomb explosion of nitrogen molecules proceeds much faster than that of the iodine. The N<sub>2</sub> ionization dynamics is modelled using classical trajectory simulations in good agreement with the outcome of the experiments. The results suggest that covariance mapping of the Coulomb explosion can be used to measure the intensity and pulse duration of free-electron lasers.</p> 2013-08-13 00:00:00 covariance maps Free Electron LASer Simulated coincidence map nitrogen molecules proceeds ground state ions covariance mapping technique covariance analysis unravels Coulomb explosion pathways coulomb explosion flash covariance map sequential ionization processes Atomic Physics Molecular Physics