DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR THE SEQUENTIAL DECAY Z+)-]C-56(Z+)-]CENTER-DOT-CENTER-DOT-CENTER-DOT())

Using a two sector field mass spectrometer in combination with a cross ed beams ion source we have obtained direct experimental evidence that C-60 fragment ions such as C-58,C-56,C-54,... produced by electron im pact ionization of C-60 may be formed by unimolecular decay of the C-6 0 parent ion involving sequential loss of C? Moreover, by comparing ex perimental and theoretical breakdown graphs the overriding conclusion is that in the case of C-56(z+) production (with z = 1,2,3) sequential loss of two C-2 units dominates over the loss of a single C-4 unit.