Experimental and theoretical studies of simple attractive Penning ionization systemsag

Abstract

Quantum mechanical calculations based on local complex potential theory and ab initio potential data are presented for the Penning ionization systems He*(2 3S) +H, Li, Na, and He*(2 1S) +Na. The dependence of the electron energy spectrum on the complex entrance channel potential and on the collision energy is shown within the “ΔJ≡J+ = -J*=0” approximation (i.e. conservation of the heavy particle angular momentum upon electron emission). Further calculations demonstrate the more detailed structure of the electron spectra if a selected number of heavy particle partial waves is considered only. High resolution, angular dependent electron spectrometric studies of the systems He* + Li, Na show the need to take angular momentum transfer (ΔJ≠0) into account. The new experimental results are discussed in connection with earlier work, and quantal model calculations with the inclusion of rotational energy transfer illustrate how the angular dependence of the electron spectra can be qualitatively understood in terms of a recently given semiclassical model.