Nonradiative Dissociative Electron Capture by Molecular Ions

Abstract

The rate of dissociative electron capture by heavy molecular ions is developed in the semiclassical formalism. The quantum treatment of the rate coefficient is also outlined. In the case of $\mathrm{O}_2^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, $\mathrm{N}_2^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, and $\mathrm{He}_2^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ the calculated rate coefficients are 1.14×${10}^{-7\mathrm{}}$, 2.0×${10}^{-7\mathrm{}}$, and 2.1×${10}^{-8\mathrm{}}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^3$/sec, respectively, at 300°K, as compared with the experimental values (1.7±1)×${10}^{-7\mathrm{}}$ and (2.8±0.5)×${10}^{-7\mathrm{}}$, and the upper limit 4.0×${10}^{-9\mathrm{}}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^3$/sec, respectively.