Ionization and Fragmentation of a Global Warming Gas by EUV and X-Ray Photons

Abstract

An experimental investigation of the processes leading tothe fragmentation of the singly ionized 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a, CH₂FCF₃) by EUV and soft X-rays is presented. HFC-134ais taken into consideration as the most convenient replacement for CFC-12 in refrigeration applications due to the fact that it has null ozone depletion factor. Dissociation of the singly ionized HFC-134amolecule was induced by valence, direct and indirect C 1s core photoionization or photoexcitation and the ionic fragments were detected in coincidence (PEPICO mode) with the ejected electrons without energy analysis. The singly ionized parent ion CF₄CH₂⁺can be detected even at photon energies above the C 1s threshold.