Rates of dissociative attachment of electrons to excited H2 and D2

Abstract

Calculations are reported of the contributions of the lowest 2Σ+ u and 2Σ+ g resonant states to the rates of dissociative attachment of electrons to H2 and D2. For all electron temperatures, the rate is significantly enhanced by vibrational and rotational excitation of the initial molecule. Typically, for an electron temperature of 1.5 eV, the attachment rates for various (v, J) levels are, in cm3 sec−1, 5.4×10−15 for (0,0), 7.2×10−11 for (0,20), and 7.8×10−9 for (8,0), for H2; and 4.5×10−17 for (0,0), 1.4×10−14 for (0,20), and 6.0×10−9 for (11,0), for D2.