International Symposium on Dissociative Recombination: Theory, Experiment and Applications Held in Lake Louise, Alberta on 28 - 31 May 1988.

Abstract

Abstract : This report contains a summary of the papers presented at the International Symposium on Dissociative Recombination: Theory, Experiment and Applications held at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. May 28-31, 1988. Dissociative recombination (DR) of molecular ions with electrons has important consequences in many areas of physical science. Theory: The proposed mechanism was several years in the making because it had to overcome two important obstacles. First, due to the mass mismatch, a collision with an electron could not be expected to cause a massive molecule to fall apart. The transfer of electronic energy to the nuclear motion is improbable. However, in Bate's proposed mechanism, the electron energy is transferred entirely to the electrons of the target molecule and a neutral state is formed in which the nuclear motion leads to the dissociation of the molecule. (jes)