Charge-Transfer Cross Sections for the Reaction N2+ + O2 → O2+ + N2 at Very Low Energies

Abstract

The charge-transfer cross section for ${\mathrm{N}}_2^{+}$ + ${\mathrm{O}}_2$ → ${\mathrm{O}}_2^{+}$ + ${\mathrm{N}}_2$ has been measured by a drifttube technique in the formerly inacessible energy region from 0.05 to 1 eV in the center-of-mass system. In this energy region the charge-transfer cross section $\sigma$ may roughly be represented by $\sigma =2.2\mathrm{}$ ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$/${\mathrm{}(\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.\mathrm{energy}\mathrm{in}\mathrm{eV})\mathrm{}}^{\mathrm{½}}$. This expression is consistent with a model dominated by the induced dipole interaction, and it connects smoothly thermal-energy measurements to ion-beam measurements at several eV.