Abstract. Optical spectroscopic studies of furan molecules (C₄H₄O) impinged by dihydrogen cations (H$_{2}^{+}$) were for the first time performed employing collisioninduced emission spectroscopy at ions incident energy range of 25–1000 eV corresponding to the velocities from 49 to 311 km/s. The recorded spectra reveal strong luminescence of atomic hydrogen Balmer lines whose intensities weaken with rising principal quantum number n. The spectra also display emission bands of CH radicals excited to the first A²Δ and second B²Σ⁻ electronic states. The emission yield curves of these excited products were additionally measured by recording resultant intensities at different projectile energies. Impact processes are unveiled based on these results.

Key words: Furan, cancer, collisions, dissociation, luminescence.