The electron swarm method as a tool to investigate multi-body electron attachment processes

Abstract

The electron swarm method has been used for the investigation of multi-body thermal electron attachment process. Ethylene, carbon dioxide and their mixtures were used as carrier gases. The rate constant for the reaction of thermal electrons with SF 6 has been measured and found to be (2.5±0.2) × 10 -7 cm 3·mol -1·s -1. The mechanism and kinetics of thermal electron capture by N 2O was investigated in the mixtures with C 2H 4 and CO 2. A mechanism involving neutral van der Waals molecules (N 2O·CO 2) has been proposed and the rate constants calculated to be 1.9 × 10 -10 cm 3·mol -1·s -1 for the formation of (N 2O·CO 2) and 1.8 × 10 -30 cm 6·mol -2·s -1 for the three-body reaction with CO 2 as a stabilizing agent.