Low-energy electron attachment to excited nitric oxide

Abstract

Dissociative attachment of low energy electrons to the A2Σ+ state of nitric oxide has been measured quantitatively, and the cross section for this process has been determined. A magnetically collimated electron gun has been used as a controlled source of low energy electrons, and the mass analyzed detection system has been calibrated using the known dissociative attachment cross section of CCl4. The cross section for the reaction NO*(A2Σ+)+e−(0.5 eV)→N(4S)+O−(2P) is measured to be (2.0±0.5)×10−15 cm2 and is found to be independent of rotational quantum number within the statistical uncertainty.