Longhyphen;lived highhyphen;Rydberg molecules formed by electron impact: H2, D2, N2, and CO

摘要

Highhyphen;Rydberg (HR) molecules of H2, D2, N2, and CO have been observed with lifetimes of the order of 100 mgr;sec. They are stable with respect to predissociation and autoionization and have sufficiently long radiative lifetimes to be detected because they are formed in states of high orbital angular momentum (l). These highhyphen;Rydberg molecules are produced by electron impact and are detected by electric field ionization. The measurements used to characterize them are time of flight (TOF) distributions, principal quantum number (n) distributions, excitation functions, and absolute cross sections.