Collision-induced dissociation mechanisms in 4.83-keVH3+-He collisions

The polarization of $L_{\alpha }$ radiation is measured in coincidence with the scattered ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ ${\mathrm{}}^{+}$ resulting from the collision process: ${\mathrm{H}}_3$ ${\mathrm{}}^{+}$+He→(${\mathrm{H}}_3$ ${\mathrm{}}^{+}$) *+He →${\mathrm{H}}_2$ ${\mathrm{}}^{+}$+H(n=2)+He for specific laboratory angles. Our results are interpreted within the quasidiatomic approximation, which provides a reasonable picture of the changing nodal structure of the wave function during the collision. Within this description, the excitation is dependent upon the orientation of the molecule relative to the beam direction.