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Title: Molecular beam photoionization and gas-surface scattering

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5857262· OSTI ID:5857262

The energetics of the ethylene ion-molecule reactions was investigated in more detail than previously possible in two body collision experiments by photoionization of the neutral van der Waals ethylene dimer. The stability of the (C/sub 2/H/sub 4/)/sup +/C/sub 2/H/sub 4/ ion-molecule collision complex has been determined to be 18.2 +- 0.5 kcal. The highest potential barriers along the reaction coordinate for decomposition of this collision complex into C/sub 4/H/sub 7//sup +/ + H and C/sub 3/H/sub 5//sup +/ + CH/sub 3/ have been determined to be 0 +- 1.5 and 8.7 +- 1.5 kcal. In a similar manner, the energetics of the solvated ethylene dimer ion was investigated by the photoionization of the ethylene trimer. The absolute proton affinity of NH/sub 3/ (203.6 +- 1.3 kcal/mole) and the proton solvation energies by more than one NH/sub 3/ have been determined by molecular beam photoionization. In addition, the NH/sub 3//sup +/-NH/sub 3/ interaction energy (0.79 +- 0.05 eV) was measured by photoionization of the neutral van der Waals dimer. These experiments have shown that photoionization of van der Waals clusters is a very powerful method of determining the energetics of gas phase proton solvation. The scattering of helium atomic beams from a high Miller index platinum surface that exhibits ordered, periodic steps on the atomic scale to probe the effect of atomic steps on the scattering distribution is explored. Rainbow scattering is observed when the step edges are perpendicular to the incident helium atoms. The design, construction and operation of a beam-surface scattering apparatus are described. The first data obtained in this apparatus are presented and the interesting dynamical aspects of the oxidation of D, D/sub 2/ and CO are discussed. 75 references.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5857262
Report Number(s):
LBL-9838; TRN: 80-001492
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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