Inelastic Collisions of H2+ and N2+ Ions with Hydrogen Molecules

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Abstract
Absolute total cross sections have been measured for some inelastic processes occurring in collisions of N2+ and H2+ ions with H2 molecules. The reactions which were studied are: H2++H2→H2+H2+,H2++H2→H2+H+H+,N2++H2→N2+H2+,H2++H2→H3++H,N2++H2→N2+H+H+.The cross sections have been determined over the range of kinetic energy of the incident ions, 3–100 eV. The experimental method consists of energy and mass analyzing the products of collisions occurring when a beam of ions of known kinetic energy passes through a scattering chamber containing target gas at low pressure. The energy analysis provides considerable new information regarding the mechanisms of the reactions. The results are in reasonable agreement with previous measurements. Comparisons of the experimental results with existing theories are made. In the case of charge transfer, the symmetric atomic-resonance theory of Rapp and Francis is found to be a good qualitative description of the H2+–H2 charge-transfer process.