Production of low-vibrational-state H2+ions for collision studies

Abstract

A storage ion source based on the principle of confinement of charged particles by inhomogeneous oscillatory electric fields has been built for the production of H2+ ion in low vibrational states. Using a gas mixture of H2 and rare gases (Ne and He) in the ion source at high pressure, higher vibrational states of H2+ ions have been effectively quenched by ion-molecule reactions and collisional deactivation. Collision-induced dissociation measurements of H2+ on He have been performed to determine the internal energy of the ions. With an H2+Ne mixture (1:5 ratio) in the source at 80 m Torr, the H2+ ions are found to be predominantly in upsilon =O and 1 states.