Associative Detachment:H+H−→H2*+e

The process of associative detachment in the (H,${\mathrm{H}}^{-}$) collision system is investigated at energies below 12 eV. In this energy region, the interaction potential between H and ${\mathrm{H}}^{-}$ has recently been determined. The energy dependence of the cross section is calculated with explicit allowance for the production of "hot" hydrogen molecules. It is observed that associative detachment provides a possible mechanism for generating an inverted population of the residual molecule such as ${\mathrm{H}}_2$.