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Abstract

An overview of recent developments is given for storage ring experiments on dissociative recombination using fast merged ion and electron beams. Dynamical aspects of the process are outlined, demonstrating that fast-beam reaction studies can advance the understanding of basic mechanisms holding generally for the fragmentation of electronically excited molecular systems. Experiments yield the collision energy dependence of the process, including rich resonant structure, product branching ratios of the fragmentation, and fragment momenta which also reveal the internal excitation of the fragments. Using cold electron beams and imaging detectors capable of fragment mass recognition at high readout speed, recent detailed fast-beam fragmentation experiments address the dissociative recombination of multielectron diatomic and polyatomic ions. Some of their results are presented together with an outlook on experiments at upcoming storage ring facilities.