Triply charged carbon dioxide molecular ion: Formation and fragmentation

In an experiment involving detection of a photoelectron and up to three photoions from CO2 in coincidence, we observe the triple ion coincidence C+:O+:O+. Moreover, we observe double coincidences between doubly charged cations and singly charged cation pairs C2+:O+, O2+:C+, O2+:O+. These ion triplets and pairs arise from fragmentation of the triply charged molecular ion CO23+. Other ion pairs-viz., C+:O+, O+:O+, O+:CO+-arising from the doubly charged molecular ion CO22+, are also observed. From an analysis of the coincidence pattern we postulate four decay modes of the CO23+ ion. Kinetic energy release in the channel leading to C+:O+:O+ is measured, and its distribution is postulated to have four contributing precursor states.