Abstract
The new alpha‐particle mass spectrometer proves to be a powerful tool for the study of charge transfer between gaseous ions and molecules. Energetically possible charge‐transfer reactions have been differentiated into probable and improbable reactions by employing binary mixtures of hydrocarbon gases in this instrument. The alpha‐particle induced charge‐transfer reaction, C2H2++C6H6→C2H2+C6H6+, is shown to be very efficient. In contrast, the charge‐transfer reaction, C2H2++C2H4→C2H2+C2H4+, is shown to be inefficient. This inefficiency is discussed in terms of the competing chemical reaction, C2H2++C2H4→C3H3+ +CH3.