Theoretical Justification of the Apparently Anomalous Low-Energy Behavior of Some Ion–Molecule Reactions

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Abstract
It is generally observed that cross sections for exothermic ion–molecule reactions decrease with increasing ion kinetic energies indicating a negligible activation energy. An important exception to this behavior is exhibited by the exothermic reaction O++N2→NO++N, the cross section of which goes through a maximum as a function of ion energies. A study of the pertinent potential-energy curves, taking into account the proper symmetry- and spin-allowed combinations of the reactants and products, shows the origin of the apparently anomalous behavior of this reaction.