Large angle inelastic scattering of Na+ by D2

We report measurements of the inelasticity of the large angle scattering of Na+ by D2, HD, and H2 in the initial relative energy range 0.74–16.9 eV. The interpretation of the vibrational inelasticity leads to the conclusion that perpendicular (C2ν) rather than collinear conformations of the Na+–D2 system produce the most intense inelastic scattering. The results of exact classical trajectory calculations which elucidate the effects of oscillator orientation and internal potential function on the inelasticity of collisions are presented. By fitting the calculated inelasticities to the experimental data, we have deduced both the energy and length parameters of a two term exponential repulsive potential for this system.