A compact electrostatic lens for velocity map imaging experiments

The traditional three-electrode Velocity Map Imaging (VMI) electrostatic lens developed by Eppink and Parker has proven to be a useful tool in wide range of applications molecular dynamics, including photodissociation experiments taking place beam. However, some other cases, such as crossed beam experiments, the large diameter (typically ?70 mm) this conventional VMI can inconvenient. We describe here with much smaller (down ?20 using tubular electrodes. performance is evaluated imaging O+ fragments produced O2 at around 225 nm, inelastic scattering NO Ar. Our results suggest that recorded images are acceptable quality compared those from standard while achieving fourfold reduction diameter.