This award from the U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Science Program supports collaborative research in chemistry to be conducted by Dr. Emile A. Schweikert of Texas A & M University and a group led by Dr. Carlos V. Barros Leite of Pontifica Universidade Catolica (PUC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The objective of the research is to investigate the secondary emission of ions from surfaces bombarded by MeV energy C60+ ions acting as projectiles. The secondary emissions will be evaluated for potential in surface characterization. Experiments to produce the C60+ beam will be carried out in the laboratory of the Brazilian team using its Van de Graaf apparatus, with input on experimental design, time-of-flight and coincidence counting technology provided by the U.S. group. Data work-up and analysis would be primarily carried out at Texas A & M. The experiments will be run on four target materials: metallic (Au), ionic (CsI), organic (phenylalanine and bimolecular (gramacidine). For comparison, the same emissions with smaller equal velocity projectiles (C+, C6+, C10+) will be studied. This project continues previous collaborative efforts between the two groups that have resulted in 23 joint publications since 1984.
