Charge transfer between H2+ and AR: the effect of molecular vibration studied using photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy

Charge transfer between H2+ ions in specific vibrational states and argon atoms has been investigated. H2+ ions were produced by photoionisation and state analysis was achieved by the registration of charge transfer events in coincidence with energy-analysed photoelectrons. Results at 20 eV are interpreted with the aid of a simple theory which incorporates the effects of changes in different vibrational levels and the 2P3/2,1/2 states of Ar+. The implications of these results for the variation of vibrational distribution in molecular beam experiments are discussed.