Abstract

Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization/fragmentation (REMPI/F) is a useful technique for the production of parent and fragment ions for analysis by mass spectrometry. It is well documented that the degree of fragmentation of a parent ion by REMPI/F can be varied by changing the laser intensity, and that either soft or hard ionization can be achieved. It is less well known that the relative abundance of the fragments produced from a particular parent ion can be strongly dependent on the wavelength of light used for ionization/fragmentation. This effect is independent of laser intensity and arises from the narrow internal energy distributions of the parent ions created by REMPI/F.

© 1987 Optical Society of America