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Title: O{sub 2}(X{sup 3}Σ{sub g}{sup −}) and O{sub 2}(a{sup 1}Δ{sub g}) charge exchange with simple ions

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4879805· OSTI ID:22304267
; ;  [1];  [1]
  1. Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, 3500 Aberdeen Ave, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 87117 (United States)

We present theory and experiments which describe charge transfer from the X{sup 3}Σ{sub g}{sup −} and a{sup 1}Δ{sub g} states of molecular oxygen and atomic and molecular cations. Included in this work are new experimental results for O{sub 2}(a{sup 1}Δ{sub g}) and the cations O{sup +}, CO{sup +}, Ar{sup +}, and N{sub 2}{sup +}, and new theory based on complete active space self-consistent field method calculations and an extended Langevin model to calculate rate constants for ground and excited O{sub 2} reacting with the atomic ions Ar{sup +}, Kr{sup +}, Xe{sup +}, Cl{sup +}, and Br{sup +}. The T-shaped orientation of the (X − O{sub 2}){sup +} potential surface is used for the calculations, including all the low lying states up to the second singlet state of the oxygen molecule b{sup 1}Σ{sub g}{sup +}. The calculated rate constants for both O{sub 2}(X{sup 3}Σ{sub g}{sup −}) and O{sub 2}(a{sup 1}Δ{sub g}) show consistent trends with the experimental results, with a significant dependence of rate constant on charge transfer exothermicity that does not depend strongly on the nature of the cation. The comparisons with theory show that partners with exothermicities of about 1 eV have stronger interactions with O{sub 2}, leading to larger Langevin radii, and also that more of the electronic states are attractive rather than repulsive, leading to larger rate constants. Rate constants for charge transfer involving O{sub 2}(a{sup 1}Δ{sub g}) are similar to those for O{sub 2}(X{sup 3}Σ{sub g}{sup −}) for a given exothermicity ignoring the electronic excitation of the O{sub 2}(a{sup 1}Δ{sub g}) state. This means (and the electronic structure calculations support) that the ground and excited states of O{sub 2} have about the same attractive interactions with ions.

OSTI ID:
22304267
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 140, Issue 21; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English