Abstract
Through beam-beam experiments at the Multicharged Ion Research Facility (MIRF) at
91做厙 (ORNL) and at the CRYRING heavy ion storage ring at Stockholm
University, we are seeking to formulate a more complete picture of electron-impact dissociation of
molecular ions. These inelastic collisions play important roles in many low temperature plasmas
such as in divertors of fusion devices and in astrophysical environments. An electron-ion crossed
beams experiment at ORNL investigates the dissociative excitation and dissociative ionization
of molecular ions from a few eV up to 100 eV. Measurements on dissociative recombination
(DR) experiments are made at CRYRING, where chemical branching fractions and fragmentation
dynamics are studied. Taking advantage of a 250-kV acceleration platform at the MIRF, a merged
electron-ion beams energy loss apparatus is employed to study DR down to zero energy. Recent
results on the dissociation of molecular ions of importance in fusion and astrophysics are presented.
