Vibrationally-dependent molecular dynamics in mutual neutralisation reactions of molecular oxygen ions.

ABSTRACT: Product distributions and dynamics of low-collision-energy mutual neutralisation reactions involving even simple molecular ions are largely unknown. Reactions which involve oxygen ions, e.g., O2+ with O^-, are expected to be important in atmospheric phenomena such as sprites and in high-pressure air or oxygen discharges. Here we show, by combining cryogenically stored-and-merged ion beams with coincident product-imaging techniques, that the O2+ with O^- mutual neutralisation reaction results predominantly in dissociation of the O2+ molecule. Three competing reaction pathways yields both O(³P) (84%) and O(¹D) (16%) products, but no O(¹S) products. Analysis of the momentum-correlated dynamics of the reaction reveals the dominance of two-st

SUBMITTER: Poline M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12474973 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature