DISSOCIATION AND CHARGE TRANSFER IN 1.4-46-KEVH2+-H2 COLLISIONS

Cross sections for the formation of secondary H2+ and H+ ions when 1·4-46 kev H2+ ions pass through thin targets of hydrogen have been determined using a mass spectrometer which was designed to ensure that all secondary ions were recorded with a high and uniform collection efficiency. The influence of vibrational excitation of the H2+ primary ions on the observed yields of the slow H2+ and H+ ions has also been investigated. The results have been used to take account of dissociative processes in the derivation of the symmetrical charge-transfer cross section σ1 for the process H2+ (v = 0) + H2(v = 0) -> H2(Σv) + H2+(Σv) using the previous experimental data of McClure. Upper and lower bounds for σ1 have been estimated for energies within the present range and these values lie considerably below the theoretical cross sections due to Bates and Reid.