Excitation of H2O+ in e–H2O collisions

Abstract

Inelastic collisions, between electrons of low and medium energies and H2O molecules, that give rise to the appearance of optical radiation were studied. An experiment was performed with a gas-filled cell using an extended beam of monokinetic electrons to excite the molecules. A spectrum appearing in the visible region was identified as belonging to H2O+. About 430 excitation cross sections attributed to 10 subbands of the [Formula: see text] system were measured. For a number of lines, measurements were made of the optical excitation functions in the range of energies from the excitation threshold to 200 eV.