Relative Charge-Transfer Efficiencies of ${}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}$ and ${}^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ Xenon Ions in Xe and in $O_{2}$

We have shown that the concentration of

{Xe}^{+}

{}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}

ions formed in an electron-impact ion source may be monitored by utilizing near-resonant charge transfer of

{Xe}^{+}

beams with molecular oxygen. This measurement provides a means of assaying the fraction of excited ions in the

{Xe}^{+}

beam and affords a technique for studying the effects of fine structure on the symmetric charge-transfer process:

{Xe}^{+}

+Xe→Xe+

{Xe}^{+}

. With 25-eV electrons, we find that the

{Xe}^{+}

beam is about 80%

{}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}

state, while the remaining 20% appears to be principally

{}^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}

. The charge-transfer cross section for the excited component in xenon was found to be 1.0±0.15 relative to that of the

{}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}

ion, over a large range of incident ion energy.

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Relative Charge-Transfer Efficiencies ofP322andP122Xenon Ions in Xe and inO2