Potential energy surfaces for the (ArCO)+system

Imaging the Collision Energy-Dependent Charge-Transfer Dynamics between the Spin-Orbit Ground Ar+(2P3/2) Ion and CO

The collisional charge-transfer reaction between Ar+(2P3/2,1/2) and CO represents one of the most studied ion-molecule systems; many controversies persist among different studies, and the detailed quantum state-to-state charge-transfer dynamics remains unknown. Here, differential cross sections of the charge-transfer process between the spin-orbit ground Ar+(2P3/2) ion and CO are reported at three center-of-mass collision energies of 1.02, 0.72, and 0.40 eV using a home-built three-dimensional velocity-map imaging-based ion-molecule crossed beam setup. At all three collision energies, the direct energy resonant charge-transfer mechanism dominates the reaction, featuring predominantly forward scattering with the CO+ product population peaking at the v' = 6 and v' = 7 vibrational levels. Only at the lowest collision energy of 0.40 eV is the significant backward peaked scattering product observed, with CO+ populated from v' = 4 to v' = 8. There is no obvious evidence for the formation of CO+ in excited electronic state A2Π+, in qualitative accord with previous theoretical predictions.

Collision-Energy Dependent Stereodynamics of Dissociative Charge Exchange Reaction between Ar+ and CO

Long-distance charge-dipole attraction between atomic ion and randomly oriented polar molecule potentially makes the molecular orientation, which profoundly influences the products' kinetics of collisional reaction. Using the three-dimensional ion velocity map imaging technique, here we report a collision-energy dependent stereodynamics of dissociative charge exchange reaction Ar⁺ + CO → Ar + O + C⁺ in a range of 7.46-9.97 eV. At the lowest collision energy, the most C⁺ products are forward-scattered and are along the collision axis and are attributed to three different dissociation channels including the predominant one experiencing the rotating intermediate ArC⁺. At the high collision energies, the remarkably diffusive distribution of C⁺ arises from the prompt dissociation of the rebounded CO⁺. The different dynamic processes arising from the nearly collinear collision are elaborated explicitly on the basis of the data analyses using the Doppler kinetics models.