The formation of NO+ from the reaction of N22+ with O2 -: art. no. 134322

We have studied the potentially ionospherically significant reaction between N-2(2+) with O-2 using position-sensitive coincidence spectroscopy. We observe both nondissociative and dissociative electron transfer reactions as well as two channels involving the formation of NO+. The NO+ product is formed together with either N+ and O in one bond-forming channel or O+ and N in the other bond-forming channel. Using the scattering diagrams derived from the coincidence data, it seems clear that both bond-forming reactions proceed via a collision complex [N2O2](2+). This collision complex then decays by loss of a neutral atom to form a daughter dication (NO22+ or N2O2+), which then decays by charge separation to yield the observed products. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.