Charge Permutation and Dissociation of Molecular Ions by Impact with Neutral Molecules

Resolved beams of ions with energies between 10 and 150 kev were passed through thin targets and the resulting beam analyzed as to momentum and energy. Equilibrium charge ratios were obtained for various ions after passing through thin films of Ni or organic polymer. Cross sections for several reactions of oxygen ions with gas targets were also obtained. For gaseous targets, some of the products of dissociative reactions exhibited two side peaks differing in energy from the normal peak. By relating this displacement to a velocity change produced by dissociation alone, the kinetic energy change involved in the dissociation of the ion can be calculated. Values for a number of cases are tabulated.