Investigation of Ion-Ion Recombination Cross Sections
Abstract
An experimental and theoretical investigation has been made of ion- ion mutual neutralization processes relevant to the chemistry of the D-region of the earth's ionosphere. In experimental work, the primary effort has been directed toward modifying the merged-beam apparatus, which had been designed to produce beams of small ions, so that it would produce hydrated ion beams of sufficiently high intensity and narrow energy spread. In the theoretical effort, the study of the ion-charged dipole interaction problem, which is being used as a model for the more complex interaction involving two clustered ions, has been continued. A classical dynamical study of this system in two dimensions using a fixed parabolic trajectory approximation and also a less accurate perturbation approximation has been completed. In order to extend this work to the case of three-dimensional motion, a powerful semiclassical perturbation technique, in which the collision S-matrix is expressible in closed form in terms of tabulated functions, has been developed. Using this approach preliminary calculations of orbital capture cross sections for the O(-) + NO(+) system have been carried out. A detailed study of the NO2(-) =H2O system has been initiated in an effort to extend the approach from rotational excitation of diatomic molecules to the excitation of bending modes in simple hydrated ions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 19, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA021286
Entities
People
- D. L. Huestis
- D. Mukherjee
- F. T. Smith
- J. R. Peterson
- J. T. Moseley
Organizations
- SRI International