A novel technique for measurement of thermal rate constants and temperature dependences of dissociative recombination: CO2(+), CF3(+), N2O(+), C7H8(+), C7H7(+), C6H6(+), C6H5(+), C5H6(+), C4H4(+), and C3H3(+)

A novel technique using a flowing afterglow-Langmuir probe apparatus for measurement of temperature dependences of rate constants for dissociative recombination (DR) is presented. Low (~10(11) cm(-3)) concentrations of a neutral precursor are added to a noble gas∕electron afterglow plasma thermalized at 300-500 K. Charge exchange yields one or many cation species, each of which may undergo DR. Relative ion concentrations are monitored at a fixed reaction time while the initial plasma density is varied between 10(9) and 10(10) cm(-3). Modeling of the decrease in concentration of each cation relative to the non-recombining noble gas cation yields the rate constant for DR. The technique is applied to several species (O2(+), CO2(+), CF3(+), N2O(+)) with previously determined 300 K values, showing excellent agreement. The measurements of those species are extended to 500 K, with good agreement to literature values where they exist. Measurements are also made for a range of CnHm(+) (C7H7(+), C7H8(+), C5H6(+), C4H4(+), C6H5(+), C3H3(+), and C6H6(+)) derived from benzene and toluene neutral precursors. CnHm(+) DR rate constants vary from 8-12 × 10(-7) cm(3) s(-1) at 300 K with temperature dependences of approximately T(-0.7). Where prior measurements exist these results are in agreement, with the exception of C3H3(+) where the present results disagree with a previously reported flat temperature dependence.

Electron energy-dependent product state distributions in the dissociative recombination of O2+

We present product state distributions and quantum yields from the dissociative recombination reaction of O2+ in its electronic and vibrational ground states as a function of electron collision energy between 0 and 300 meV. The experiments have been performed in the heavy-ion storage ring, CRYRING, and use a cold hollow-cathode discharge source for the production of cold molecular oxygen ions. The branching fractions over the different dissociation limits show distinct oscillations while the resulting product quantum yields are largely independent of electron collision energy above 40 meV. The branching results are well reproduced assuming an isotropic dissociation process, in contrast with recent theoretical predictions.

Vibrationally resolved rate coefficients and branching fractions in the dissociative recombination of O2+

We have studied the dissociative recombination of the first three vibrational levels of O(2) (+) in its electronic ground X (2)Pi(g) state. Absolute rate coefficients, cross sections, quantum yields and branching fractions have been determined in a merged-beam experiment in the heavy-ion storage ring, CRYRING, employing fragment imaging for the reaction dynamics. We present the absolute total rate coefficients as function of collision energies up to 0.4 eV for five different vibrational populations of the ion beam, as well as the partial (vibrationally resolved) rate coefficients and the branching fractions near 0 eV collision energy for the vibrational levels v=0, 1, and 2. The vibrational populations used were produced in a modified electron impact ion source, which has been calibrated using Cs-O(2)(+) dissociative charge transfer reactions. The measurements indicate that at low collision energies, the total rate coefficient is weakly dependent on the vibrational excitation. The calculated thermal rate coefficient at 300 K decreases upon vibrational excitation. The partial rate coefficients as well as the partial branching fractions are found to be strongly dependent on the vibrational level. The partial rate coefficient is the fastest for v=0 and goes down by a factor of two or more for v=1 and 2. The O((1)S) quantum yield, linked to the green airglow, increases strongly upon increasing vibrational level. The effects of the dissociative recombination reactions and super elastic collisions on the vibrational populations are discussed.

DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION WITH ION STORAGE RINGS

The development of heavy-ion storage-cooler rings for atomic physics has made it possible to produce high-quality beams of molecular ions that are internally cold. The stored molecular-ion beam is immersed in a cold electron bath, which gives a beam of low divergence and small cross-sectional area. The electron cooler also serves as a target for electron-molecular ion collision experiments. This allows the study of dissociative recombination of cold molecules with respect to cross sections, branching ratios, and angular distributions at an unprecedented luminosity.