Center-of-mass deflections in two processes: Collision-induced dissociations of 10 keV H ⁺₂ ions in their electronic ground state 1sσ _g and dissociative electron capture

Abstract

By means of a flight-time difference apparatus the two collision induced processes of dissociative vibrational excitations

$$H_2^ + (10keV,1s\sigma _g ) + target \to (H_2^ + )*(1s\sigma _g ) \to H^ + + H(1s)$$

and

$$H_2^ + (10keV,1s\sigma _g ) + target \to (H_2 )*(unspecified) \to H + H$$

have been determined from an asymmetry in the lab-frame resulting from deflections of the centers-of-mass of the incident projectiles.

H⁺+H velocity distributions from vibrational excitations of the electronic ground state of the H ⁺₂ ions will be presented which have been directly measured. Competition of any of the higher lying electronically excited states of the projectiles is estimated to be negligible.

In the case of dissociative electron capture combined with simultaneous deflections of the centers-of-mass the electronic states of the intermediate H₂ molecules and of the H fragments could not be specified.