Abstract
The present work deals with the simulated radiolysis of methane with low energy electrons (3.5 to 17.5 eV). The setup used in this study has been previously described. The influence of electron energy on the yields of the various products (hydrogen, ethylene, ethane, acetylene and propane) formed under electron impact was investigated. Striking features appear on the product appearance curves from which correlations between the observed products and the excited and ionized states of methane were deduced. The chemical reactions of reactive species formed under electron impact were analyzed. The dissociation mechanism of methane molecules excited in singlet states (9.6–10.4 eV and 11.7 eV) and in superexcited states lying just above the first ionization potential were discussed.
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