Rate constants and branching ratios for the dissociative recombination of CO2+

Abstract

Product branching ratios and thermal rate coefficients for the dissociative recombination of CO2+ have been measured in the cryogenic ion source ring ion storage ring. The rate constants were found to be 4.2×10−7(Te∕300)−0.75cm3s−1. The 300-K result is in agreement with previous flowing afterglow values and is somewhat smaller than a recent determination made at the Aarhas storage ring in Denmark (ASTRID) storage ring. The electron temperature dependence is, however, in good agreement with the ASTRID result of T−0.8. The present results show that only CO plus O are formed, other product branching ratios are zero within experimental error. This is in contradiction to the ASTRID results which show that 9% of the reactivity goes to C+O2. The new results show that the C+O2 channel does not need to be included in the models of the ionospheres of Venus and Mars.