Observation of a stripping threshold for the reaction N2 ^++CH4→N2H^++CH3

Abstract

Chemical accelerator studies on isotopic variants of the reaction N2 ++CH4→N2H++CH3 are reported. Reaction cross sections, as well as velocity and angular distributions of the ionic products have been measured as a function of initial translational energy over the energy range 0.65–35 eV (center of mass). The results are similar to those recently reported for the reaction of Ar+ with CH4. The excitation function maximizes at about 5 eV (c.m.) and decreases at lower collision energies, appearing to possess a threshold at 0.1 eV. At the higher energies there is a large isotope effect favoring abstraction of H over D. The product velocity vector distribution is strongly peaked forward of the center of mass, indicating that the reaction is predominantly direct over the energy range studied. The spectator stripping model, although providing a reasonable first approximation to the reaction dynamics, overestimates the product translational energy by approximately 0.1 eV. This behavior is presumed to be caused by a basin in the potential energy hypersurface for this reaction. If, however, an N2CH4 + complex is formed at low collision energies, it appears to decompose via reaction channels other than that resulting in N2H+ formation.