Ionization and dissociation of acetonitrile by proton collision*

Nitriles, like acetonitrile (H₃CCN), are organic compounds found in planetary atmospheres and in the interstellar medium. This study focuses on dissociative ionization processes induced by proton collisions from 40 keV to 155 keV on gaseous nitriles, The selected energy range matches that of protons incident on the Earth's atmosphere. Pulsed proton beams collide with nitriles molecules in a gas cell under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The cations are analysed using a high-resolution reflectron spectrometer. Experimental results provide insights into fragmentation channels and formation yields, aiding in understanding chemical processes in various environments. Absolute cross-sections are obtained by normalization to the total theoretical ionization cross-section calculated by CTMC and CDW-EIS. The study offers insights for stellar object chemistry and molecule half-life determination.

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