Product-ion distributions for some ion-molecule reactions

Abstract

The reactions of He⁺ ions with N₂, O₂, CO₂, and CH₄, and of C⁺ and N⁺ ions with O₂ are presented. The measurements were carried out in the SIFT apparatus (selected ion flow tube), which involves the injection of a mass-selected positive-ion beam into a flowing neutral gas into which a reactant gas is introduced at a position downstream in the flow. Data acquisition and analysis are made by the flowing afterglow technique. The results for the He⁺+N₂ reaction agree with the previously established branching ratio. For the other reactions, considerable differences are apparent between the product distributions obtained and those previously reported and an explanation is attempted. A brief discussion of the reaction mechanism is presented for each reaction in the light of the determined product distributions, and the anticipated development of the SIFT technique for ion-molecule reaction mechanisms is outlined.