Speaker
Description
Crossed molecular beam experiments serve as a robust approach for investigating the dynamics of elementary gas-phase reactions [1], with Velocity Map Imaging (VMI) enabling the determination of energy and angle-resolved differential cross-sections [2]. Building on our previous investigation of the reactive scattering between N$^+$ ions and O$_2$ neutrals, where two distinct product channels were identified and characterized [3]—we now report the first differential cross-section measurements for the N$^+$ + CO$_2$ reaction, resolved in both energy and angle, over a collision energy range of 0.16 eV to 1.52 eV. Two primary reaction pathways are observed: charge transfer and dissociative charge transfer. For each channel, we quantify the branching ratios and present velocity map images from which the internal energy distributions and angular scattering patterns of the products are extracted. These experimental findings provide critical data for benchmarking theoretical models and emphasize the necessity of further theoretical work to elucidate the underlying mechanisms governing ion-molecule interactions.
References
[1] N. Balucani, G. Capozza, F. Leonari, E. Segoloni, and P. Casavecchia Int.
Rev. Phys. Chem. 25, 109 (2006)
[2] R. Wester Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16, 396 (2014)
[3] D. Swaraj, J. Judy, F. Zappa, R. Wester Phys. Scr. 100, 025408 (2025)
