Experimental cross section for individual vibrational quantum transitions in low energy central collisions of Li+ with H-2

The excitation of Individual vibrational states in central collisions of monoenergetic Li+-ions on H-2 - molecules in the ground vibrational state has been observed at center of mass energies of 2.28 eV, 4.50 eV and 6.73 eV using a time of flight method described earlier. The time of flight spectra have been fitted by a l east squares technique to yield relative excitation probabllitics and absolute differential cross sections for the transitions n = 0 -> n =1, n = 0 -> n = 2 up to n = 0 -> n = 9. The relative probabilities agree surprisingly well with the one-dimensional quantum mechanical calculations of Secrest and Johnson.